Cherwell Sees Glass As Resource
15 August 2011
Due to the large amount of glass recycled by residents in Cherwell, the council is moving it's collection in-house bringing in an average £10 per tonne of glass from re-sale
Until now the council has outsourced its glass collection at a cost of £80,000 per year and contractors were able to sell the glass on.
But a review of the service revealed that £78,000 annual savings could be made if the council carried out its own collections.
Cherwell will also clean the bring bank sites and collect other items such as cans and batteries, making further savings.
Councillor James Macnamara, Cherwell's lead member for environment, said: "Because our glass collections are colour-separated, it is worth more in re-sale.
"Thanks to the efforts of residents we will already have a massive amount of glass to sell on each year and the more they recycle, the more they will save in tax."
Almost 2,700 tonnes of glass was collected in the district last year and at £83 per tonne of waste sent to landfill, this would have cost £224,100 had residents not been such ardent recyclers.
Instead, for each tonne of waste recycled, the council received a £43 credit from Oxfordshire County Council, which brought in £108,000.
On top of this the council will now bring in an average £10 per tonne of glass from re-sale, which would have been £27,000 last year.
The initial cost of £130,000 for a new recycling truck is expected to be recouped within 18 months.
And it is calculated that in-house collections will save in the region of 10,000 miles per year on the roads, which is better for the environment.
Cherwell has 75 glass recycling banks across the district which separate it into green, brown and clear.
Each colour of glass can be turned into new containers, far more profitable than mixed glass, which can only be used as aggregate for road surfaces.
The council is always on the lookout for more suitable sites and anyone with a suggestion can email services@cherwell.gov.uk or call 01295 221940.
Darrel Moore
