GG83 GUIDE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY BEST PRACTICE PROGRAMME IMPROVING CULLET QUALITY GOOD PRACTICE: Proven technology and techniques for profitable environmental improvement IMPROVING CULLET QUALITY This Good Practice Guide was produced by the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme Prepared with assistance from: Entec UK Ltd © Crown copyright. First printed September 1997. This material may be freely reproduced except for sale or advertising purposes. Printed on paper containing 75% post-consumer waste. CONTENTS Section Page 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose and content of this Guide 1 1.2 Potential audience 2 1.3 Benefits of glass recycling 2 2 Markets for recovered glass 3 2.1 The sales potential of collected glass 3 2.2 Quantities of glass arisings 3 2.3 Sources of glass arisings 4 2.4 Contacts for cullet collectors 4 3 Contaminant-free cullet 5 3.1 Sources of cullet contamination 5 3.2 Why cullet should be contaminant-free 6 4 Cullet recycling and cost-effective good practice 8 4.1 The main elements of cullet recycling schemes 8 4.2 Cost-effective good practice 8 5 Reducing cullet contamination: public recycling schemes 14 5.1 Types of collection scheme 14 5.2 The collection site 15 5.3 Collection bins 15 5.4 Colour separation 15 5.5 Collection routes 16 5.6 Collection vehicles 16 6 Reducing cullet contamination: commercial and trade collection 18 6.1 Establishing responsibilities 18 6.2 The role of the cullet collector in minimising contamination 18 6.3 The role of the cullet producer in minimising contamination 19 7 Reducing cullet contamination: post-industrial collection 21 7.1 The role of the cullet collector in minimising contamination 21 7.2 The role of the cullet producer in minimising contamination 21 8 Good management to improve cullet quality 22 8.1 Employee management and training 22 8.2 Effective contract management 22 8.3 Promotion and awareness raising 23 (continued overleaf) CONTENTS Section Page 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose and content of this Guide 1 1.2 Potential audience 2 1.3 Benefits of glass recycling 2 2 Markets for recovered glass 3 2.1 The sales potential of collected glass 3 2.2 Quantities of glass arisings 3 2.3 Sources of glass arisings 4 2.4 Contacts for cullet collectors 4 3 Contaminant-free cullet 5 3.1 Sources of cullet contamination 5 3.2 Why cullet should be contaminant-free 6 4 Cullet recycling and cost-effective good practice 8 4.1 The main elements of cullet recycling schemes 8 4.2 Cost-effective good practice 8 5 Reducing cullet contamination: public recycling schemes 14 5.1 Types of collection scheme 14 5.2 The collection site 15 5.3 Collection bins 15 5.4 Colour separation 15 5.5 Collection routes 16 5.6 Collection vehicles 16 6 Reducing cullet contamination: commercial and trade collection 18 6.1 Establishing responsibilities 18 6.2 The role of the cullet collector in minimising contamination 18 6.3 The role of the cullet producer in minimising contamination 19 7 Reducing cullet contamination: post-industrial collection 21 7.1 The role of the cullet collector in minimising contamination 21 7.2 The role of the cullet producer in minimising contamination 21 8 Good management to improve cullet quality 22 8.1 Employee management and training 22 8.2 Effective contract management 22 8.3 Promotion and awareness raising 23 (continued overleaf) CONTENTS (continued) Section Page 9 Meeting market specifications 25 9.1 Container glass 25 9.2 Flat glass 25 9.3 Domestic glass 25 9.4 Fibreglass 26 9.5 Scientific and technical glasses 26 10 What next? 27 Appendix Contacts for cullet collectors 28 1 INTRODUCTION In the UK, local authorities and other organisations that collect and recycle waste glass (cullet) have an important environmental role. They are meeting their obligations under recycling duties and, section provided the cullet collected is of sufficiently high quality, they are benefiting from the income 1 received and/or the savings associated with reduced landfill costs. Cullet collectors, especially local authorities, face a formidable challenge in setting up stable and cost-effective recycling programmes. They must accurately: ■ cost their collections; ■ appraise contractors; ■ assess income against the cost savings from reduced landfill; ■ evaluate the markets available and the prices paid and, in so doing, make an informed decision about the materials to be collected and the system to be used. 1.1 PURPOSE AND CONTENT OF THIS GUIDE Many factors - commercial, political and technical - influence glass recycling in the UK, but cullet quality control is particularly important if high levels of recycling are to be achieved. The purpose of this Guide is to provide cullet collectors with appropriate advice on best practice for maintaining and, where possible, improving quality control in glass recycling. It aims to help collectors offset some of the costs incurred in cullet quality control, and at the same time provides guidance on maintaining the value and saleability of cullet in the future. This Guide includes information on: ■ the markets for recovered glass; ■ the need for contaminant-free cullet and the main sources of cullet contamination ■ the main elements of cullet recycling schemes and cost-effective good practice for minimising cullet contamination; ■ specific techniques for reducing cullet contamination in public recycling schemes and during commercial, trade and post-industrial collection initiatives; ■ the importance of good management and promotion; ■ meeting market specifications. This Guide only considers cullet collected from outside the glass manufacturing industry (‘external’ or ‘ecology’ cullet), and excludes cullet generated during the glass manufacturing process (‘internal’ cullet). It considers all types of external cullet, both ‘post-consumer’ cullet (bottles and jars collected from public glass banks and bins at commercial premises such as public houses, clubs and restaurants) and ‘post-industrial’ cullet (mainly waste flat glass from industrial sources such as window manufacturers and automotive companies). Most local authorities and private collectors are already aware, to some extent, of cullet quality issues. The techniques outlined in this Guide may add to their knowledge. The information presented demonstrates what is considered to be best practice in cullet handling. It is intended to be a point of reference for those involved in glass recycling, and is designed to encourage improvements in current practice where such measures are cost-effective and contribute to the long-term viability of glass recycling in the UK. It does not represent ‘policy’ or prospects for future standards. 1 In some cases, the quality control measures discussed can be implemented at little cost - they may even generate net savings. In other instances, measures will require some additional, albeit small, resources. It is recognised that many local authorities have only limited resources for recycling activities, and the benefits of applying the measures listed to existing operations would need to be considered separately. However, the recommendations should be practicable when developing new recycling contracts or setting up new schemes. section 1 1.2 POTENTIAL AUDIENCE This Guide is designed primarily for organisations involved in the glass recycling chain: ■ Cullet collectors - mainly local authorities but also private collectors. It is particularly relevant to collectors that are new to glass recycling and are establishing schemes for the first time. The aim is to help collectors supply cullet of a suitable quality and consistency to the cullet processors. Reducing the number of glass loads rejected by cullet processors saves money and landfill space. ■ Industrial and commercial producers of waste glass. By reducing levels of contamination, these organisations can increase the quantities of waste glass available for recycling. ■ General waste management contractors and hauliers. Improving the quality of cullet will increase the yield of all glass that is collected or transported, thereby developing new commercial opportunities. ■ Cullet processors. The techniques outlined in this Guide should help cullet processors, either directly or through their suppliers, to provide a consistently high quality product to their customers, the glass industry. ■ Glass manufacturers. Every supplier/buyer relationship is a partnership as well as a business arrangement. This Guide should help glass manufacturers to understand more fully the implications on their suppliers of tighter quality requirements further along the recycling chain. 1.3 BENEFITS OF GLASS RECYCLING The main economic benefit of glass recycling to the cullet collector is the reduction in the quantities of collected glass going to landfill and the associated costs. The cullet sold to the glass producer may also be priced according to its quality, and this value can increase as the quality of the cullet improves. Other important issues also need to be taken into account. While local authorities are committed to recycling, they need to be seen to be responding to the public’s growing awareness of environmental issues and, in particular, to the expectation that waste should be recycled wherever possible. At the broader national level, glass recycling can: ■ reduce the consumption of virgin raw materials (1.1 tonne of raw materials saved for every tonne of cullet used); ■ reduce the amount of energy used for glass manufacture (glass made with 100% cullet can use 20 - 35% less energy than glass made wholly from raw materials); ■ reduce harmful emissions to the atmosphere from the manufacturing process. 2 2 MARKETS FOR RECOVERED GLASS 2.1 THE SALES POTENTIAL OF COLLECTED GLASS To separate glass from the domestic, commercial or industrial waste stream costs money. Those responsible for glass collection therefore need to know whether the glass collected has any value as a recycled material. Table 1 summarises the main items that are likely to arise in recyclable waste glass and the most likely purchaser for each type. It clearly shows what types of glass are saleable section and to whom.