Kerbside glass recycling gets the go ahead in Reading
But the service will be delayed until 2027
Reading residents will be benefitting from the fortnightly collection of glass recycling from their doorstep, by 2027.
The new glass recycling collections will begin alongside the introduction of soft plastic recycling from residents’ doorsteps, which has already been piloted in parts of the borough.
Before glass collections begin, most residents across the borough will be provided with a 55 litre kerbside box for it, which will be emptied fortnightly. Communal properties will be provided with larger 240 litre bins, and alternatives such as suitable sacks will be considered for properties with extremely limited capacity for waste storage.
The council say they hope the introduction of doorstep recycling for glass and soft plastics will help to further boost Reading’s recycling rate, which rose from 32% to 50% following the introduction of doorstep food waste recycling in 2021.
Supply chain problems have delayed the introduction of the service.
Anticipated
Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:
“We know that the introduction of doorstep glass recycling in Reading has been highly anticipated by many. The Council shares that ambition and is energised to bring the service to fruition.
“The capacity has been established within our new collection rounds introduced earlier this year but a great deal of work still needs to go into delivering the new service. Specialised vehicles are required to implement this work, and because many councils are working towards the same goal of implementing glass and food recycling, supply chains across the market are understandably stretched.
“In the meantime, we encourage you to keep doing the great job you already do in recycling your glass at Reading’s 40+ bottle bank sites, as we work at speed to save you that journey in the future.”