We're Crushing Our Sustainability Targets

24 JAN

24 Jan 2024 Boat O'Craigo

At Boat O'Craigo we are proud to make sustainability one of our core aims, particularly in the hospitality industry where managing glass waste is often a messy, heavy and sometimes dangerous activity. We are proud to partner with Bottle-Cycler, finalist in the Premier's Sustainability Awards, as our glass recycling technology partner.

The Stats

In the 12 months we've partnered with Bottle-Cycler, we've saved 4.185 tonnes of CO2, 6,750kg of glass removed and recycled, the equivalent of 1.0051 cars removed from the road, 46.2375 gigajoules of electricity, 16,470 litres of water, and 16.2 m³ of landfill space.

The Importance of Glass Management

Glass recycling is backed by scientific innovation, from crushing to repurposing, with every step focused on reducing waste and increasing sustainability. Bottle-Cycler's on-site glass crushing machine, which lives with us in our marquee space, has allowed us to reduce waste volume by up to 80%, and store up to five times the amount of bottles in the same space as our previous standard recycling practices.

The Recycling Process

Glass recycling begins at the point of collection — contaminated glass can't be recycled, which is why efficient onsite sorting matters. Each bin in our crusher holds up to 300 glass bottles. Once crushed and collected, the glass (known as cullet) is sorted by colour and composition, cleaned of impurities, then melted at a lower temperature than raw materials, saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. From there, companies like Orora remould the recycled glass into new bottles and products — glass can be recycled repeatedly without losing purity or quality.

The Environmental Impact

Recycling glass reduces energy consumption through lower melting points, lowers carbon emissions, conserves natural resources, and contributes to an ongoing, circular economy.