Glass Packaging
Packaging made from glass, primarily bottles and jars. Glass is infinitely recyclable and benefits from established collection systems, though its weight means higher transport-related environmental impacts.
Glass packaging includes bottles, jars, and other containers made from glass. It is one of the most recycled packaging materials and can be recycled infinitely without loss of quality.
Glass packaging in the UK is typically categorised by colour:
- Clear/flint — commonly used for food jars, spirits
- Green — wine bottles, some beer bottles
- Amber/brown — beer bottles, some pharmaceutical containers
Glass has well-established recycling infrastructure through bottle banks and kerbside collections. Under pEPR, glass packaging reporting must include weight and colour data. Glass benefits from relatively favourable modulated fees due to its recyclability. However, glass is heavy, which increases transport emissions and makes it a focus for lightweighting initiatives. Glass may also be included in Deposit Return Schemes depending on the final scheme design. See our glass packaging EPR guide.
Related Terms
Packaging Material
The physical material from which packaging is made. Under EPR, packaging must be...
Modulated Fees
Fee adjustments applied on top of base fees that reward recyclable packaging wit...
Recyclability
The practical ability of a packaging item to be collected, sorted, and reprocess...
Lightweighting
Reducing the weight of packaging while maintaining its protective and functional...
Deposit Return Scheme
A system where consumers pay a small deposit on beverage containers at purchase,...
Put EPR terms into practice
Stop reading about compliance — start doing it. Our platform handles the complexity.
Start Your Free Trial