Recycling glass

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 12

Recycling glass

The scheme of Crown Crystal Glass to promote the recycling of old bottles will be seen by the environmental movement as a minor triumph. Re-use whenever possible of non-renewable raw materials —particularly those such as glass which in their manufactured forms tend to pollute the countryside when discarded—is one of their important objects. Mr I. G. Lyons, general manager of the company’s Hornby works, says that concern for “ the “ environmental aspects associated with used glass ” was a factor in the decision to launch the scheme; and users of glass, including New Zealand's winegrowers, claim a similar concern.

While collecting broken glass at controlled rubbish dumps is a small beginning, the associated publicity campaign should lead to the redirection of considerable quantities of glass from city tips to the Hornby melting-pots. Mr Lyons says that his company has not yet costed the procedure fully; but as the company already buys broken glass at the plant for recycling, no doubt it is economically worth while. The publicity campaign should have the twofold effect of educating those who were not aware that glass could be usefully remelted, and convincing them that dumping used glass containers in the company’s special rubbish tins is a public-spirited act. I nfortunately. such considerations are unlikely to have much effect on those who habitually abandon g'ass with little regard for the safety of others. But if the idea of directing used glass back to the factory really catches on, and the company finds that it is saving money by remelting it. some small monetary incentive might be considered worth while. If this encouraged young people to scour the roadsides for breakages—and pocket money—it would help to relieve the worst effects of the problem,