On 31 December this year, the new regulation for end of waste criteria for glass cullet will come into force. It will contribute to assure a second life for bottles and other glass containers.
The criteria were drawn up by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and state that glass cullet must comply with specifications or standards so that they can be used directly in the production of glass substances or objects by re-melting in glass manufacturing facilities. The criteria place limits on the amount of contaminants such as metals, organics and stones which can be contained in glass cullet in order for it to be classed as a secondary raw material.
The end-of-waste concept aims to stimulate European recycling markets by creating legal certainty, removing unnecessary administrative burden and releasing safe and clean secondary raw materials from the waste process. The JRC prepares the technical criteria that determine when a material recovered from waste ceases to be waste and can be dealt with as other products or raw materials.
