What happens to glass collected in Cheltenham
As well as kerbside collections we also collect recycling at events such as the literature festival
Glass being emptied from one of our recycling vehicles at the Swindon road depot, Cheltenham
What glass items can you recycle in Cheltenham?
Glass like other recyclable items can be found in many areas of the house and placed in your recycling box. Glass items can be things like jam jars, wine bottles and even perfume bottles
Where does it go after collection?
All glass collected across Cheltenham is taken back to the Swindon Road depot and placed in a bay loose ready for enough to fill an articulated vehicle. The loose glass when loaded onto a bulk haulier weighs a total of 28 tonnes, and over the period of 2020/21, residents across Cheltenham recycled a smashing amount of glass totalling 3,415.05 tonnes.
Next destination
As mentioned above the glass is bulk loaded and then transported onto URM Group in Knottingley where they sort the glass, removing any contaminants before it proceeds onto a cleaning and drying process. The glass is separated into three colours and various different sizes and these different sizes will determine the next process. Larger pieces are sent for bottle and jar manufacture with the smaller pieces being sent to Tarmac in Maltby for aggregate use.
For further information and a more detailed description about the process please visit the urmgroup website.
Glass being emptied from one of our recycling vehicles at the Swindon road depot, Cheltenham
Clear glass after the seperation process