Uncategorized - Friends Of Glass UK Blog Archive

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Trashed – No Place for Waste!

We recently came across the new documentary about global waste “Trashed” and couldn’t help but share this with you. In this film, Academy Award winning actor Jeremy Irons explores some of the world’s most environmentally polluted places to reveal the extent of how our rubbish is affecting us and our planet.

In this visual and emotionally-charged film, Jeremy takes us on a journey to explore the risks to the food chain and the environment by the rising tide of household waste found at sea.

Jeremy says “There is a clear feeling from a growing number of people that the time has come for us all to start to try and change our ways, and to endeavour to live a more careful life.”

This movie is a positive, if alarming wakeup call. It ends on a message of hope – we can all do something to help stop the problem, all we need to do is take small actions every day!

One easy place to start is in our choice of packaging. By choosing to buy our favourite foods and drinks in glass, we can do our bit to ensure more is recycled rather than dumped. Did you know that glass is one of the most sustainable types of packaging? Glass is inert and made from three simple ingredients: sand, limestone and soda ash and can be recycled over and over again without any loss in quality.

Find more information about the documentary here.

Why Lucy Loves Glass – and We Love Lucy!

We were fascinated to read Lucy Siegle’s column in the Observer magazine, where she responded to a reader’s enquiry : “Are plastic jars worse for the environment?”.

In her article, Lucy asks, “Why don’t companies package their products the way they used to?” She says “Many brands claim they’re being greener by shifting into some new fancy-pants type of plastic (as opposed to saving money). Glass is inert and straightforward (it is essentially sand, soda ash and limestone) and keeps products fresh without plastic films and barriers. It is also highly recyclable – scrap glass, cullet, is a key production ingredient for new glass.”

After weighing up the environmental pros and cons of both materials, she concludes “I urge you to remain a glass purist. While it’s hard to stem the rising tide of plastic packaging, plastic waste – from bottles to the tiny beads called mermaid’s tears – is wreaking havoc on oceans especially. Nothing against PET, the most widely used and recycled plastic… but glass wins for me.”

Glass recycling and reuse contribute significantly to reducing glass packaging’s carbon footprint. It’s resource efficient packaging so it can be reused in its original form over and over again without any loss in quality.

Several initiatives currently under way in the glass industry will further increase the efficiency of glass packaging. This includes efforts to improve the recycling rates of glass jars and bottles, leading to a decrease in energy use and global warming potential. Also, the continuing process to light weight glass containers, which helps reduce raw material usage, emissions, energy used and overall weight.

Friends of Glass would like to know which grocery products you miss being packaged in glass and why? Tweet us @glassfriendsuk or get in touch on Facebook.

Rubies in the Rubble says: Waste Nothing!

A former hedge fund employee who makes chutneys from waste food has been named as one of the UK’s most promising female entrepreneurs. Jenny Dawson, 27, was inspired to start Rubies in the Rubble by her mother who used to make preserves in glass jars from left-over fruit and vegetables at their family home in Scotland.

Miss Dawson, from Bethnal Green, is one of three finalists in the Veuve Clicquot New Generation Award, celebrating up-and-coming businesswomen under 35. She said: “It is overwhelming that a young, small company like ours was noticed. You see so much food waste everywhere. I thought there must be something that could be done about it.”

The company makes everything by hand; they are generous with ingredients, and are committed to the community. They source all their fruit and vegetables from surplus, fresh from the market. The preserves are then stored in glass jars, ensuring everything is kept fresher for longer.

Rubies in the Rubble also care about who makes their products. Their workforce is primarily made up of people who are struggling to get back into work, investing time and talent in training them to be connoisseurs.

Miss Dawson and her assistant — helped by three chefs — make more than 250 jars of chutney a day out of wasted food from stalls at their kitchen in New Spitalfields Market. The chutneys are stocked in Fortnum & Mason and go on sale at Selfridges next week.

We are curious to know, do you make your own chutneys at home? If so please share your recipes with us! Leave a comment below or get in touch with us on Facebook or tweet us @FriendsofGlassUK.

Bottled Wishes project captures the hopes and dreams of 50 of the UK’s leading sustainability voices

Did you know glass is made from naturally occurring materials including sand?*

Friends of Glass invited 50 of the UK’s leading voices on building a more sustainable way of living to share their hopes for the future. Amongst the fantastic responses we received were contributions from sustainability advocates and TV presenters Lucy Siegle and Julia Bradbury. We also heard from campaigners on food waste, climate change and green energy including FoodCycle, WRAP, Slow Food; Greenpeace,350.org; Ecotricity and Good Energy.

These contributions are now being turned into an art installation that features fused recycled glass bottles, each one containing a different wish for the future. The installationis due to be unveiled as the centre piece of our Bottled Wishes exhibition in London this Wednesday 24^th April 2013.

Friends of Glass intends that the exhibition will highlight the 100% recyclable qualities of glass while promoting ideas for more sustainable solutions in all areas of life.

Rebecca Cocking, Head of Container Affairs at British Glass, the organisation behind this Friends of Glass campaign, said: “Glass is a healthy and sustainable material that has and will continue to stand the test of time. We wanted to create a window into what other things we would like to see as part of a more sustainable future and thus the Bottled Wishes concept was born.

“While many of the wishes are aspirational and ambitious, the key to success is to start with a clear goal. We hope in exhibiting the wishes, we will help inspire the action required to turn them into reality.”

The exhibition will run for one month at environmental charity Global Action Plan’s offices in Covent Garden, London. At the end of the exhibition the bottles will be auctioned with 100% of proceeds donated to clean water charity drop4drop.

You can also share your own wishes for the future on Twitter using the #bottledwishes hashtag. All wishes will be entered into a competition to win dinner for two at Galvin at Windows, with five pairs of viewing tickets for the spectacular new all-glass building The Shard for the lucky runners up. So tell us, what is your wish for the future?

For more information about the project and competition visit www.bottled-wishes.co.uk.

*Click here to learn more about how glass is made.

** Picture: Some of the bottles that will be turned into a work of art at the Bottled Wishes exhibition in London this month.

Baileys Unveils New Bottle Design

Friends of Glass were interested to see Baileys Original Irish Cream has changed the shape of its famous bottle

While the original Baileys glass bottle was very distinctive, the new slim-line design allows for storage in the fridge – and important factor for those Baileys’ fans who prefer to drink it chilled. Garbhan O’Bric, Baileys global brand director commented:

“As one of the most-loved female spirits brands in the world, we need to not only to appeal to current Baileys consumers and adorers, but ensure we also appeal to each new generation of progressive, savvy and spirited women.”

Available worldwide from March 2013, the bottle gives more prominence to the ‘Double B’ brand icon and has a refreshed label to compliment the new look.

Do you love it or loathe it? Let us know what you think about the new Baileys’ glass bottle. Leave a comment below or get in touch with us on Facebook or tweet us @FriendsofGlassUK.

MENA loves glass – it’s official!

We were delighted to hear that glass is the preferred choice of packaging for not only Europeans*, but also MENA’s (Middle East and North Africa’s) consumers. An independent survey conducted by Asian Glass magazine has revealed that MENA’s consumer’s choose glass containers for preserving the quality, purity, and taste of their drinks and food.

Here are 4 main reasons why Asia says yes to glass: :

73% of consumers continue to choose glass packaging for maintaining the purity of a product.
79% believe that glass packaging is the best choice for ensuring the quality and healthiness of foods.
62% of consumers choose glass packaging for maintaining the shelf life of a product.
Glass is also the preferred packaging choice for drinks: juices (73%), soft drinks (96%) and health drinks (87%).

Gulf Glass exhibition director, Derek Burston, commented: “It is this trend (towards glass) that is undoubtedly inspiring a number of existing companies, as well as budding entrepreneurs, to increase their exposure to this sector, all of which augurs well of course, for the providers of container glass manufacturing technology”.

*InSites Survey

5 Ways Glass Can Help You Reduce Food Waste

As much as half of all the food produced in the world – equivalent to 2 billion tonnes – ends up as waste every year, according to the recent report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. In Britain alone, we waste a quarter of all the food we buy. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) calculates that the typical British household could save £50 a month by minimising its food waste. The good news is that by choosing and using glass containers for the food you buy and store, you’ll have a helping hand in achieving that!

Here are 5 suggestions how glass can be a friend when it comes to reducing food waste and saving money:

1. Have you got a garden full of apple trees? Make sure you don’t waste any of them! Get into the kitchen and make your own chutney and jams. Glass is inert, which means that, unlike other packaging materials, it acts as a natural barrier to bacteria and contains no chemical preservatives, artificial flavourings or additives.

2. Love your leftovers; get creative making meals from what you have in the kitchen. Why not use up all those remaining veggies and cook some lovely Chicken Noodle Soup in a jar. Glass is non-reactive and a great protector of food and drink.

3. Think glass jars when you shop. Did you know that glass is virtually impermeable to oxygen, which means it keeps food and drink fresher for longer?

4. Savvy storage – get into the habit of putting your nuts and raisins into airtight containers such as glass jars. Glass is easy to clean, sterilise and re-use, so it can store products again and again.

5. Bought too much food? Why not create a recipe in a jar and give it your colleagues, neighbours or friends. Here is a brilliant Pie in Jar recipe to get you started!

Have you got any more tips on how glass can help you reduce food waste? Leave a comment below or get in touch with us on Facebook or tweet us @FriendsofGlassUK

Is Glass Making A Comeback On The Doorstep?

It seems like just about anything vintage is making a comeback, and the food scene is no exception. Slowly but steadily, milk delivery services are making a comeback in some areas for reasons that are both personal (glass lovers know that milk from a glass bottle taste better and stay cooler for longer) and political (supporting small-scale dairies is good for the local food movement and the environment).

It can also make your mornings that little bit extra special! We love how Rosie Millard beautifully captured the excitement of her little one about the freshly delivered milk in her recent “Modernity is here – we have acquired a milkman and glass bottles” article in The Independent:

“Wow!” says my youngest son “What time will you arrive with our milk?” “5am” pronounces Bravo dourly. “I’m going to get up early and see you!” shouts my child, who has never heard of anything so amazing as milk in a glass bottle.”

Although prices are slightly higher than store-bought milk, delivery services give consumers their calcium with convenience and safety. Glass acts as a natural barrier against bacteria as it’s virtually impermeable to oxygen, thus keeping milk full of its natural vitamins and minerals. Rosie also thinks that milk deliveries will stop the need for those irritating journeys when you just pop out for a pint of milk but seem to come back with a bag full of random items.

According to Chris and Gillian Spakauskas, who have been delivering milk in York for 24 years, the majority of their new customers are usually young professional couples who simply want a pint of fresh milk on the doorstep in the morning, so they can have a cup of tea before setting off for the day. And nothing keeps freshness better than glass, as it doesn’t interact with what it holds and protects the flavour.

Do you get your milk delivered? If so, do tell us why. Is it because milk just tastes better when it comes from a glass milk bottle, or because glass doesn’t have an odour? Maybe it’s because you know that glass won’t leak, or because glass keeps the milk colder and fresher for longer? Or, perhaps you just like the memories it brings back from your childhood? We would love to hear your comments! Get in touch with us on Facebook or tweet twitter @FriendsofGlassUK

Vinegar Gets Smart – New Augmented Reality Campaign Adds Extra Spice to Shopping Experience

Friends of Glass is impressed with a clever new marketing campaign from speciality ingredients experts, Merchant Gourmet. This innovative campaign enables consumers to walk into supermarkets, scan the bottles with their smart phones and immediately receive a step-by-step cookery lesson and recipe to create a special Spiced Black Rice Vinegar dish.

“We wanted to develop a campaign that would engage customers and get them interacting with the product,” said communications manager Karen Alleyne. “All they have to do is point their device at the special neck collars which are placed around the bottle and they can enjoy their guide and recipe in the palm of their hand.”

Spiced Black Rice Vinegar is a versatile ingredient created by blending a mix of exotic Asian spices. Infused with cinnamon, aniseed, liquorice, peppercorns, orange peel, we’re delighted to see it is stored in a square shaped glass bottle so its unique taste is preserved.

Have you had a chance to have a go at this interactive cooking experience? We would love to hear your comments! Get in touch with us on Facebook or tweet twitter @FriendsofGlassUK

Raise your glass to London Cocktail Week

London Cocktail Week – the biggest drinks festival in the UK has arrived.

Get ready to shake, sip and party your way to a fantastic celebration of the capital’s unrivalled cocktail culture at London Cocktail Week (October 8-14th).

Once again, over 100 of the best bars across the capital will be throwing open their doors to offer £4 cocktails all week to those wearing a London Cocktail week wristband. These bars have been cherry-picked because of their shared dedication to delivering wonderful service, excellent drinks and a great experience.

This year London Cocktail Week will be basing its main hub in the beautiful Seven Dials area of Covent Garden. Here you’ll find the London Cocktail Week Ketel One Hub at 15 Shorts Gardens where visitors can collect their London Cocktail Week wristband and get drinks-making tips from the best mixologists.

Experts agree that cocktails can be made in almost any glass, HOWEVER, having the right glass for the right cocktail will taste better, look better and increase the fun of the whole experience!

Friends of Glass love the look of this Virgin Strawberry Pina Colada, what is your favourite cocktail and why? Tweet us @GlassFriendsUK or get in touch on Facebook.

For more info about the event visit LondonCocktailWeek.com.