To encourage local restaurants, bars and clubs to become more environmentally friendly, Guildford Borough Council launched a new glass recycling scheme for businesses last Friday.

Cllr Jenny Wicks, Lead Councillor for Environment, comments:

"600,000 tonnes of glass bottles are thrown out from pubs, clubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes every year in the UK. This is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to go green, and help reduce the amount of waste they produce and cut down on waste related costs.”

“Businesses really can make a difference - by recycling just one bottle enough energy can be saved to power the average television for 20 minutes. Recycling glass prevents a valuable resource being sent to landfill and also cuts down on the need for the quarrying of sand and other precious resources,” adds Cllr Wicks.

Businesses will be provided with 240-litre wheelie bins or 44-litre stacking boxes for them to recycle their mixed coloured glass waste. Collections will be weekly on either a Monday or Friday. The number of containers and bins provided is dependant on the volume of glass generated and the storage space available.

This initiative is part of Guildford Borough Council's commitment to improving residents’ local surroundings, by focusing on issues that matter most to them such as a cleaner, safer and greener environment.

To find out more about this scheme and other recycling initiatives, contact James Howarth on 01748 445063 or email james.howarth@guildford.gov.uk

Press contact: Natalie Ashton, Assistant Communications Officer
Tel: 01483 444329
Fax: 01483 444023
Email: natalie.ashton@guildford.gov.uk