Firms unite to support drive to boost glass recycling in Leeds

LEADING FIGURES from across the glass supply chain have joined together with Zero Waste Leeds to encourage glass recycling in the city.

Trade body British Glass, recycler URM and manufacturers Ardagh and Allied Glass, have come together with the zero-waste team on a campaign that looks to capitalise on the renewed recycling effort that has been seen in Leeds during the pandemic.

The campaign will focus on encouraging residents to visit their local bottle banks using analysis to identify areas to improve lower performing collection sites after lockdown saw a 26 per cent increase in glass recycling at glass bank sites across the city.

Victoria Adams, communications manager at British Glass, said: “We’re delighted to launch a campaign that not only focuses on a geographical area close to the heart of glass manufacturing but also brings together local manufacturers, recyclers and Zero Waste Leeds to collaborate on a campaign we all hope to benefit from.

“The amount of recycling taking place at bottle banks across Leeds during the pandemic has been encouraging and we wanted to keep this momentum going, particularly as many people appear to have got into new recycling habits over the last twelve months and with the impending lifting of lockdown restrictions.

“We’re really looking forward to creating and launching a campaign with messages that we hope will resonate with the people of Leeds.”

Rob Greenland, director of Zero Waste Leeds, commented: “We’re very excited to be working with the glass industry on this project, part of which will be to tell a great Yorkshire circular economy story.

“That glass, an infinitely recyclable and sustainable product, is collected by a local company from one of over 700 glass banks across our city and transferred to one of the many glass manufacturers is a great starting point.

“A big part of what we bring to our work is that we are rooted in this city, and we’re aware of what makes it unique.

“We’ve got relationships with communities built up over many years and ready access to local recycling data.

“We take a real place-based approach to campaigns like this one that strive to change behaviour for the better.

“We are really looking forward to getting started and building on the big increase in glass recycling over the last year.”