Your small glass recycling initiative will help the earth

During February, the month of love, a great way to share and show your love for the environment is to get involved in glass recycling.

You can have a heart for glass by reusing or recycling your glass bottles and jars.

Valentine’s Day is here and we know not everyone has the day or evening planned.

Why not consider something a little more creative and environmentally friendly this year?

Re-using glass is super stylish and cost-effective, so put your flowers from your partner in a beautiful glass jar instead of a vase.

Use glass for the elegant and classy touch; or, alternatively, offer a bohemian strawberry cocktail served in a trendy jar.

Use glass jars or empty wine bottles as candle-holders to decorate your Valentine’s dinner table and create the ambience for the evening.

Not only will the table look beautiful, but you will also feel good about reusing glass and making that little bit of a difference to the environment.

The benefits of using glass packaging are endless.

TGRC (The Glass Recycling Co) showcases some benefits to convince South Africans that they should love glass this February.

Five reasons to have a heart for glass this month:

1. Glass is made of natural substances.

2. Glass bottles can be recycled endlessly.

3. Glass is easily reused.

4. Glass is 100 per cent recyclable.

5. Glass is timeless and elegant.

Express your love for glass and your love for the environment by recycling every glass jar or bottle you would usually just throw away with the rest of your garbage.

It doesn’t cost you any money and is very easy to do.

Make sure you show your love for beautiful glass and not just your partner this Valentine’s Day.

Tips to get started:

Recycling is easy; you don’t have to start big to make an impact.

Here are some simple tips from TGRC to educate your family and friends:

• Glass containers, bottles and jars, such as those used for food and beverages can be recycled.
• Types of glass that cannot be recycled with packaging glass include windscreen glass, window pane glass, mirrors, light bulbs, drinking glasses and tumblers, PyrexTM or laboratory glass. These items cannot be recycled with regular glass, as they have different properties to packaging glass.
• Encourage those around you to do the same – wouldn’t they feel guilty throwing away glass that can so easily be recycled? Take your kids with you and show them how and where to put their bottles.
• Make sure you take back returnable bottles to your retailer, which will washed and sterilised hygienically by the manufacturer, then refilled and reused – these include large beer bottles, certain glass cold drink bottles and even many of the bottles used for spirits and liquor.
• In South Africa, it’s not necessary to place different coloured glass into separate banks or wash glass before placing it into glass banks.
•  Find a glass bank at www.tgrc.co.za.