Leeds enjoys a Lidl recycling love with new glass banks

Image caption: Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, executive board member for sustainbility and environement with Emma from Lidl Halton using the new glass recycling banks.  

Glass recycling in Leeds is set to get a boost this February thanks to a set of brand new glass banks being installed in Lidl’s Halton store carpark from February 12th. The banks join over 700 other bottle banks in the Leeds area, making it easier than ever for the people of Leeds to recycle their glass bottle and jars.

To celebrate the arrival of the new decorated banks, Leeds City Council and Lidl have teamed up with Friends of Glass, the campaign that supports glass packaging, to offer shoppers and residents across the city the chance to win prizes in a fun competition.

The prizes – an iPad Mini, three Love to Shop vouchers totalling £300 and a super Lidl hamper – will be awarded to the five best photos of shoppers recycling bottles or jars at a city glass bank. Shoppers can take a photo of themselves or friends and family at any of the 700 glass banks around the city, then post to twitter or Facebook with #RecyclingHero and tag @LeedsWasteDocs/leedswastedocs. The best five photos entries submitted before Sunday 18 March 2018 will each win a prize.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, executive member for environment and sustainability at Leeds City Council said:

“Recycling glass is such a great way to make the most of our resources, help the environment and save money. More than 15,000 tonnes of glass bottles and jars are thrown away in household bins each year – that’s the same weight as 108 blue whales. Disposing of that costs Leeds over £1.5 million¹ in charges that could have been avoided if the glass had been recycled. This is money that would have been better spent on other local services”.

A spokesperson for Lidl UK said:

"We are delighted to be able to support this local initiative. We hope that by providing glass recycling facilities at our Halton store, we will help to make recycling easier than ever for our customers".

Brook Hayes of Friends of Glass said;

“Glass is endlessly and 100% recyclable and can be used to make new bottles and jars over and over again. By recycling as much glass as possible, the people of Leeds will help ensure there is a steady supply of glass available to put back into the system. Using recycled glass to make new glass also saves energy and helps reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere”.

Yorkshire has a proud history of being at the forefront of the UK’s glass manufacturing industry. For example, all the glass that is collected in Leeds is recycled locally in Yorkshire, with around 5 billion glass bottles and jars produced every year by 7 Yorkshire-based glass factories².

Full details of the competition and how to enter can be found at www.leeds.gov.uk/glass

To find the nearest glass bank to you, simply download the Leeds Bin App.

For further information please contact:

Amanda Barry-Hirst, Third Rock Communications, amanda@thirdrockcomms.co.uk

07860 313576

Notes to Editors

1. Leeds City Council

2. British Glass www.britglass.org.uk

3. About Friends of Glass

Friends of Glass is a pan-European community dedicated to promoting the right for consumers to be able to choose the food and drink products they love in glass packaging. Friends of Glass unites all those who believe glass is the clear choice for themselves, their families and for the environment. Friends of Glass UK is managed by British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation.