 Don’t leave bottles on the floor
Summer is the best time for get-togethers with friends and family. You may have in mind a barbecue in your backyard or a hearty summertime dinner. No matter what kind of party you are after, it can be a headache sometimes to dispose of the waste and food left after a party.
A handy recycling locator tool
No party is complete without drinks, be it wine, beer, juice or soft drinks.
Glass drink bottles can be recycled and turned into new products. The WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) website has a recycling locator tool that is very handy and useful in finding your nearest bottle banks.
Bottle banks are emptied regularly. However, if you find a bottle bank is full, don’t leave your bottles on the floor as they may not be recycled. Instead, check out the other banks nearby.
 What can and can’t be put into bottle banks
Lots of glass items left after parties can be recycled:
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Bottles of any colour, for example, wine, beer and soft drinks
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Jars: for sauces, jam and baby food
However, some types of glass are not suitable for recycling:
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Glass cookware, for example, Pyrex and microwave plates
- Drinking glasses
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Ceramics, for example, crockery, earthenware
These items can withstand higher temperatures, so they can’t be melted at the same time as the types of glass typically put in bottle banks for recycling.
Some best practices
Here are some tips to make glass recycling right and better:
- A quick rinse helps remove leftover liquid inside the bottles, avoiding contamination.
- Bottle lids and caps can also be recycled. Put them back on before recycling to reduce the chance of them getting lost during the sorting process at the recycling plant. You can also keep the labels on the bottles.
- Corks should be removed from bottles. They can be saved for home composting.
- All bottle banks in the borough accept glass of any colour. You don’t need to separate your empties by colour before putting them in the bottle banks.
More about glass recycling can be found on the re3 website and the Recycle Now website.
 What happens to the mixed glass collected at bottle banks
All glass items collected from bottle banks in the borough are transported to a specialised glass recycling facility operated by the UK’s leading glass recycler URM.
There, they undergo several processes to remove contamination such as ceramics, stones, metals, lead crystal glass and heat-resistant glass.
When the glass is free from contamination, it is then sorted by machines into three main colours, namely clear, brown and green.
The final stage of the process is to crush the material to size, before it is sampled and tested to ensure quality. The material is then supplied to bottle and jar manufacturers who make new bottles and jars from the finished, high-quality cullet (glass that is crushed and ready to be remelted).
This type of recycling turns waste materials back into its original form. In other words, glass can be endlessly recycled with no loss of quality.
 Make the best use out of party leftovers
Party leftovers don’t necessarily need to end up in the bin. You can be creative with your leftovers and come up with some new dishes.
Don’t worry if you are short of ideas, the Love Food Hate Waste website provides lots of recipes to help you prepare a tasty meal using different kinds of leftovers as ingredients.
According to the website, the average family of four can save just over £60 per month by reducing their food waste. Reducing food waste is also good for the planet, as it helps slow down global warming.
Find out more about how to reduce food waste on the Love Food Hate Waste website.
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