7th June 2012
The latest gadget to make its way into a number of pubs across the UK is the glass crusher - a machine which does pretty much what it says on the tin; crushes and compacts glass bottles which are then collected by the
recycling company Ekko.
So far the system has been trialled in 100 pubs and restaurants across the UK, including a number of
Mitchells and Butlers establishments and the feedback appears positive. Brian Williamson, director of Ekko Glass Crush and Collect, said: "One of the main hurdles to glass being recovered from the hospitality sector is the lack of storage space available at the properties.
"There is an increasing trend for 'behind-the-bar' in house compactors to be used to compact glass before collection which reduces the amount of space required to store the empty bottles and the frequency of collections required."
But what are the benefits of using a glass crusher?
Convenience
Many pubs today like to recycle the many empty glass bottles that they go through, however, this can sometimes be quite a chore, especially on busy weekends when the bottles can stack up and take up vital space both behind the bar and in storage spaces. The Glass Crush can reduce bottles to 80 per cent of their size meaning they take up much less space and there also the added bonus that they are collected for you.
There's also no need to separate the bottles by colour - adding to the convenience of the device.
Environmentally-friendly
As mentioned above, the Glass Crush makes it easier for pubs to recycle and if owners know that someone is coming to pick up the bottles then they are less likely to throw some away in the normal bin. There is also the additional environmental benefit that because the glass is compacted more can be picked up at once, meaning that less refuse vehicles need sending out and therefore less fuel is used.
Safety
Dealing with glass bottles, especially smashed and chipped ones, can be dangerous, however using the Glass Crush minimises the amount that the bottles are actually being handled as they do not need to be sorted or cleaned beforehand.
The company has also redesigned the machine to ensure that staff don't come into contact with shards of glass.
Cost
Many companies may be concerned that the benefits of the Glass Crush means that it will be costly, however, Ekko claims that it is actually cheaper than you would think. All people have to pay is a monthly fee which covers the rental and maintenance of the Ekko
glass crushing machine and the cost of the collection service. How much this is will depend on the individual premises' size and other factors.
