Technically Speaking | a science and engineering discussion

Are glass bottles really better for the environment than plastic?

Listen Later

The UK has plans to change how drinks containers are collected from consumers for recycling, but recent news stories indicate that glass could be excluded from this scheme. Laura, Antonia and Jasmin discuss what responsibilities packaging producers have, how glass and plastic are currently recycled, and consider what changes need to be made.

There were a lot of references in this fact-filled episode:

  • Government target for recycling rates at gov.uk
  • Amounts of litter, from Keep Britain Tidy (2020)
  • Household recycling rates, from gov.uk
  • Amount that a deposit return scheme can reduce littering by, from Actions to Protect Rural Scotland
  • A report stating cost savings of a deposit return scheme, from DEFRA
  • Statistics on local authority costs, from gov.uk
  • Evidence from European Union countries on the deposit return scheme
  • News article about charges that could be applied to glass bottle producers, in The Chronicle
  • An overview of the Extended Producer Responsibility, from Ecoveritas
  • Potential fees to be paid by companies under the extended producer responsibility scheme, suggested by UK government
  • The main steps in plastic recycling using mechanical methods, from the British Plastics Federation
  • The journal article Laura mentions where sorting facilities were analysed, in the journal Waste Management
  • An overview of some chemical recycling method, from the British Plastics Federation
  • Some more information on chemical recycling, from CAS – a division of the American Chemical Society
  • Legislation on minimum recycled plastic content, from gov.uk
  • The journal article Jasmin refers to when considering glass recycling rates, in the journal Sustainable Futures
  • Articles explaining glass quality limitations from BBC Future and British Glass
  • The energy saving by using recycled glass to make new glass bottles, from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory
    • ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    Technically Speaking | a science and engineering discussionBy Techspeaking

    More shows like Technically Speaking | a science and engineering discussion

    View all
    Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

    Stuff You Should Know

    78,800 Listeners

    Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

    Freakonomics Radio

    32,246 Listeners

    TED Talks Daily by TED

    TED Talks Daily

    11,146 Listeners

    99% Invisible by Roman Mars

    99% Invisible

    26,238 Listeners

    Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

    Global News Podcast

    7,761 Listeners

    The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

    The Naked Scientists Podcast

    600 Listeners

    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,453 Listeners

    The Daily by The New York Times

    The Daily

    112,937 Listeners

    Inevitable by an MCJ podcast

    Inevitable

    166 Listeners

    Overheard at National Geographic by National Geographic

    Overheard at National Geographic

    9,974 Listeners

    You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

    You're Dead to Me

    3,213 Listeners

    The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

    The Rest Is History

    15,875 Listeners

    The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

    The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

    10,987 Listeners

    Catalyst with Shayle Kann by Latitude Media

    Catalyst with Shayle Kann

    284 Listeners