News: Future of UK glass manufacturing at risk under penalising new government scheme
A new scheme that seeks to make those who put packaging on the market responsible for its entire lifecycle, is expected to damage the future prospects of one of Rotherham's oldest manufacturers.
The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme is designed to hold packaging producers responsible for recycling costs and ensure that product design incorporates considerations for disposal and recycling.
Representatives of the UK glass industry argue that the scheme favours lighter, less recyclable packaging.
Beatson Clark, which has been making glass bottles and jars in Rotherham since 1751, specialises in providing glass packaging solutions for niche brands in the food, drink and pharmaceutical markets worldwide.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, recently raised this issue again in parliament. She said: "I am immensely proud to have Beatson Clark in my constituency, which has been manufacturing glass in Rotherham for more than 270 years. It is a key local employer, and the only remaining independent UK-owned glass container manufacturer. It is also the only company in the UK that still produces amber pharmaceutical glass. After adding in the supply chain, more than 2,000 people are dependent on Beatson Clark for their livelihood.
"Glass manufacture is energy-intensive, but with electric and hybrid furnaces and readily available technology there is no reason why glass cannot be a net zero product in the not too distant future, especially with Government support with infrastructure and electricity costs, as per the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations. Yet, because of the Government’s dogged decision to press ahead with extended producer responsibility, initiated by the previous Administration, we instead face the decimation of our domestic glass industry.
"Job losses and the closure of sites are literally just around the corner. That is not the industry overreacting. British Glass has already received warnings from more than one beer and cider manufacturer that there is no future for glass in this country due to the EPR policy. EPR follows hot on the heels of a challenging few years for UK glass manufacturing. The energy crisis, increased costs and a reduction in trade tariffs from 6% to 0% since leaving the EU have made cheaper imported glass so much more attractive."
Advertisement
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently published per-tonne fees to be introduced in the EPR scheme.
Trade body, British Glass, warns that despite glass making up only 5% of collected packaging by volume, it will bare around one-third of total costs. This means the per-unit impact on glass – which is how brands and retailers buy products – is estimated to be 3 to 5 times higher than competing materials – meanwhile - competing beverage packaging (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), aluminium and steel) will face no costs due to inclusion in a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) until late 2027.
Beatson Clark explains that glass is 100% recyclable forever, and it can be melted down repeatedly to create new bottles without any loss of quality or integrity. Amber glass containers manufactured by Beatson Clark contain 56% post-consumer recycled material on average, while the figure for white flint is 36%. Any waste glass created during the manufacturing process is also recycled back into the furnace, so there is zero waste and even lower use of raw materials.
The manufacturer, which has invested millions of pounds in its Greasbrough Road facility in recent years, processes around 44,000 tonnes of waste glass recovered from kerbside collections, bottle banks and the hospitality trade on site.
Beatson Clark website
Images: Beatson Clark
The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme is designed to hold packaging producers responsible for recycling costs and ensure that product design incorporates considerations for disposal and recycling.
Representatives of the UK glass industry argue that the scheme favours lighter, less recyclable packaging.
Beatson Clark, which has been making glass bottles and jars in Rotherham since 1751, specialises in providing glass packaging solutions for niche brands in the food, drink and pharmaceutical markets worldwide.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, recently raised this issue again in parliament. She said: "I am immensely proud to have Beatson Clark in my constituency, which has been manufacturing glass in Rotherham for more than 270 years. It is a key local employer, and the only remaining independent UK-owned glass container manufacturer. It is also the only company in the UK that still produces amber pharmaceutical glass. After adding in the supply chain, more than 2,000 people are dependent on Beatson Clark for their livelihood.
"Glass manufacture is energy-intensive, but with electric and hybrid furnaces and readily available technology there is no reason why glass cannot be a net zero product in the not too distant future, especially with Government support with infrastructure and electricity costs, as per the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations. Yet, because of the Government’s dogged decision to press ahead with extended producer responsibility, initiated by the previous Administration, we instead face the decimation of our domestic glass industry.
"Job losses and the closure of sites are literally just around the corner. That is not the industry overreacting. British Glass has already received warnings from more than one beer and cider manufacturer that there is no future for glass in this country due to the EPR policy. EPR follows hot on the heels of a challenging few years for UK glass manufacturing. The energy crisis, increased costs and a reduction in trade tariffs from 6% to 0% since leaving the EU have made cheaper imported glass so much more attractive."
Advertisement
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently published per-tonne fees to be introduced in the EPR scheme.
Trade body, British Glass, warns that despite glass making up only 5% of collected packaging by volume, it will bare around one-third of total costs. This means the per-unit impact on glass – which is how brands and retailers buy products – is estimated to be 3 to 5 times higher than competing materials – meanwhile - competing beverage packaging (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), aluminium and steel) will face no costs due to inclusion in a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) until late 2027.
Beatson Clark explains that glass is 100% recyclable forever, and it can be melted down repeatedly to create new bottles without any loss of quality or integrity. Amber glass containers manufactured by Beatson Clark contain 56% post-consumer recycled material on average, while the figure for white flint is 36%. Any waste glass created during the manufacturing process is also recycled back into the furnace, so there is zero waste and even lower use of raw materials.
The manufacturer, which has invested millions of pounds in its Greasbrough Road facility in recent years, processes around 44,000 tonnes of waste glass recovered from kerbside collections, bottle banks and the hospitality trade on site.
Beatson Clark website
Images: Beatson Clark
18 comments:
It’s a shame Sarah Champion isn’t proud enough to LIVE in her constituency…
What point did you want to get across?
I should’ve thought it was obvious what he/she was getting at…
It doesn't matter where she lives as long as she is fulfilling her duties in the constituency and representing Rotherham in parliament.
There's no point in her moving here now, she'll be out of a job at the next election.
Dream on!
Take it you didn't see the by-election result this morning then?
Which by election would that be?
The Keppel ward by-election. Labour got battered and finished third.
A sign of things to come throughout Rotherham.
All those foaming at the mouth with excitement at the prospect of Reform being responsible for anything are either naive or deluded. Nige is never anywhere near Clacton or Parliament, too busy trying to convince the world he is a Donald Trump's orbit or cashing his GB news cheques (though given he made a career of complaining about the EU, but at the same time taking a wage as an MEP despite doing no work it shouldn't surprise anyone)
I’d never vote Reform but as things stand I still think they’d win in Rotherham.
Regardless of your personal opinion on Farage you’ve got to admit there’s a serious chance of him being the next PM. To disagree would also be naive or deluded.
A quick Google search shows he has done little in the 12mths he has been an MP for Clacton, and there are very few from the area who are happy with his performance. I would envisage he stands in another area at the next election to avoid being voted out.
Keep that head buried in the sand!
A lot of Labour MPs have done nothing for Rotherham!
How does someone who is pointing out Nigel's inaction have their head buried in the sand? Surely researching a topic is the exact opposite of this.
If you think Reform have no chance of winning in Rotherham then your head is buried in sand.
Post a Comment