Europe-Wide Campaign Targets Improved Glass Recycling in Hospitality Sector

HOTREC has announced its support for the Close the Glass Loop campaign, which aims to improve glass collection and recycling practices across Europe’s hospitality sector. The campaign specifically addresses the issue of ceramics contamination, which can undermine the quality of recycled glass.

According to the campaign, more than 2 million hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafés operate across Europe, making the hospitality sector a significant contributor to glass packaging collection, particularly beverage bottles. The campaign aims to provide businesses and staff with practical tools to ensure glass is collected cleanly and efficiently.

The campaign highlights that glass can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality, but even small amounts of ceramics, porcelain, or pottery can damage recycling infrastructure and reduce the quality of recycled glass. Hospitality venues, which handle high volumes of beverage and packaging waste, are estimated to account for nearly 20% of Europe’s glass recycling potential, with higher rates in tourist regions.

During the campaign launch webinar, HOTREC emphasized the importance of staff training and practical solutions for effective waste separation and recycling. The organization stated that waste separation and recycling are only effective when staff are trained and empowered to implement best practices.

A central component of the campaign is a short video titled “Reaching Out to 2 Million Bars & Restaurants: Please Stop Mixing Glass and Ceramics!” The video delivers the message that glass and ceramics should not be mixed in the same bin, aiming to raise awareness among hospitality staff, including waiters, bartenders, and hotel teams, about the importance of preventing contamination and supporting high-quality glass recycling.

HOTREC joined the Close the Glass Loop initiative in 2021 to support cross-sector collaboration and promote circular solutions for hospitality businesses. The campaign encourages policies, partnerships, and training to strengthen the hospitality sector’s role in Europe’s circular economy and high-quality glass recycling.

Additional information and the campaign video are available through the Close the Glass Loop campaign website.