Robert van Notten, director of the institute for sustainable glass packaging that has just been set up in the Netherlands, says that since bottle banks were introduced in 1978, glass re-use has rapidly increased to reach about 80%. “We have maintained the same percentage for years now; it's a good result, but 90% is a very ambitious objective. The last mile is where the effort is hardest, and we need to get everyone involved in achieving that last 10%.

To achieve its goals, the institute is counting on an improvement of municipal infrastructure (more bottle banks, on the right sites) and logistics (emptying and cleaning the containers as often as necessary), combined with reminders that significant progress can still be made in the next few years. This is demonstrated by the surveys carried out by local authorities. Monitoring of the performance of bottle banks, as well as tests and analysis of sorting, show that many local authorities can continuously improve their policies and collect even more high-quality glass. The institute is able to advise local authorities and helps them with information and promotion.
Info: www.duurzaamverpakkingsglas.nl.

(Milieu Magazine, Netherlands, www.milieumagazine.nl)