Bin those bad habits and recycle 'Just Glass'

Tuesday 04 September 2018

A campaign has been launched in an attempt to reduce the amount of excess rubbish found in glass recycling waste in Jersey - and could see islanders' bin bags rejected if they have too many non-glass items.

The 'Just Glass' campaign aims to increase the sustainability of the island's glass recycling process by educating people about the importance of keeping glass separate from other rubbish and enabling companies to reject waste that is too contaminated.

Video: Leaflets llike this are being given to islanders to help educate them.

Recycling Manager, Emma Richardson-Calladine thinks we need to be mindful of mixing glass with other rubbish and that the opportunity to recycle glass properly is one we must not throw away.

 “We have a great opportunity to use recycled glass instead of buying aggregate material to filter and control the water flow to our reclaimed land, and to use it in a range of other ecologically-friendly ways," she commented.

“At the moment glass is mixed with plastic bags and general rubbish. Glass cannot be thrown away with general rubbish because it causes huge mechanical issues in the Energy from the Waste plant, so it must be separated for recycling.”

Video: What happens to your glass in Jersey? This animation helps explain. (Rethink Your Waste Jersey)

Each household on the island will receive a leaflet detailing what can and can’t go in their glass bin in order to try and increase awareness of the issue at hand.

From November onwards, La Colette will have the ability to reject any glass deliveries which contain an unacceptable amount of other waste products and so parishes and companies are encouraged to work closely with members and customers to ensure the problem is solved before it’s taken to the recycling site. 

More information about parish glass collections is available from each Parish Hall and recycling information is available here.