PEOPLE are being encouraged to take glass jars to bottle banks as part of a nation-wide recycling campaign.o

It is estimated that almost 5.5 million jars of mincemeat, 12 million jars of pickles and 6.5 million jars of cranberry sauce will be consumed this Christmas.

Some 529 tonnes of glass is recycled annually in Harlow already but the campaign, run by British Glass and backed by Harlow-based United Glass, aims to remind people to recycle glass food jars and stagger their trips to the bottle banks to allow them to be emptied.

Celebrity chef Kevin Woodford, who launched the initiative, said: "Many people remember to recycle empty booze bottles at Christmas but forget about recycling all the empty jars of mincemeat, cranberry sauce, mayonnaise, pickles and even the curry sauce jar they use to make leftover turkey curry.

"The great thing about glass is it can be used again and again to make more bottles and jars, so after the celebrations don't bin your glass, bank it at your local bottle bank."

December 20, 2001 9:03