Glass is Good
Glass is indeed good when it’s recovered and recycled; not so good when it’s discarded to become litter or landfill. We are finding ways to recover glass that not only improve the environment, but offer training, jobs and opportunities in economically disadvantaged communities.
Through our Glass is Good campaign in Brazil, we offer vouchers worth half a Brazilian dollar for bottles returned to the Carrefour chain of supermarkets. In the first month of the programme we collected 21,000 empty bottles, which were returned to our glass supplier, Owens-Illinois, and recycled.
Building on this success, we have extended the programme to bars, restaurants and events organisers. After eight months of raising awareness in the Brazilian catering industry, we collected 484 tonnes of glass.
We are also supporting the Brazilian Government in its commitment to developing recycling co-operatives among communities, by partnering with the Vira-Lata Co-operative. Its members collect empty bottles in bars, supermarkets and apartment blocks. We supply training, safety equipment and other kit, and have sponsored a collection van.
The campaign not only brings economic opportunities to local communities, but enables Diageo and our supplier to make cost savings, and reduces volumes of waste to landfill. Moreover, as melting down broken glass to make new bottles is a more energy-efficient process than manufacturing new containers from scratch, we are able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our supply chain.