That takes a whole lotta bottle!

Well, now you don’t have to for Coleraine Borough Council has just announced that blue recycling bins now accept glass bottles and jars.

Residents of the Borough are being asked to boost recycling efforts by putting empty and rinsed out glass bottles and jars in their blue bins.

Due to new optical separation technology at the Glassdon recycling plant in Toomebridge, where the Coleraine Borough’s blue bin waste is sent for sorting, residents of the Borough can recycle even more rubbish easily and conveniently from home.

Fiona Watters, Waste and Recycling Officer for Coleraine Borough Council explained, “We are delighted that blue bins can now take glass bottles and jars. This will make glass recycling easy and convenient for everyone. We are now able to put all colours of glass bottles and jars into the blue bin.

“This includes wine bottles, beer bottles, spirit bottles, jam jars, coffee jars, sauce bottles, sauce jars and medicine bottles.

“All we ask is that glass bottles and jars are empty and have been thoroughly rinsed out, but caps can be left on.

“Broken bottles and jars are also acceptable in blue bins.”

Coleraine Borough Council is keen to emphasis that some types of glass should not go into the blue bin.

“Glass that should not go into the blue bin includes Pyrex, cookware, plate glass, ceramics, pottery, windows, cups, saucers, plates, spectacles, lenses and crystal.

Fiona added, “Glass collected in Coleraine Borough Council’s blue bins will go back be melted down and made into new glass bottles and jars.

“Now that we can all easily recycle glass from home we hope that our recycling rate will increase by around five percent, giving us a new recycling rate of about forty two percent.

“My thanks go to everyone for recycling their rubbish. Each and every item of rubbish we recycle helps our environment.”

Coleraine Borough Council blue bins accept: glass bottles, glass jars, paper (not shredded), card, cardboard, juice cartons, food tins, drink cans, empty aerosol tins, plastic bottles, plastic food containers, textiles and small electrical items (up to the size of a toaster).

Blue bins do not take: food, shredded paper, nappies, tissues, plastic bags, hard-backed books, Pyrex, windows, crockery, lenses or crystal.

For further information on recycling in Coleraine Borough Council area, please go to www.colerainebc.gov.uk/recycle or phone the Recycling Helpline, Technical Services on 028 7034 7272.