An industry-wide initiative to improve glass collection for recycling in Europe’s hospitality sector has been expanded with a fresh awareness and operational drive aimed at hotels, bars, restaurants and cafés.
The Close the Glass Loop platform, a multi-stakeholder partnership working across the entire glass value chain, says the new campaign focuses on separating glass packaging correctly at source, especially in high-volume hospitality environments, to support closed-loop recycling and help the sector contribute more effectively to circular economy targets.
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Campaign targets hospitality glass waste and recycling quality
On 29 January 2026, Close the Glass Loop launched a Europe-wide awareness campaign aimed at improving both the quality and quantity of glass collected for recycling from commercial establishments such as hotels and cafés.
The initiative highlights the importance of separating used glass packaging from other materials—particularly ceramics, which can disrupt furnace operations and compromise the quality of cullet used to make new glass containers.
The campaign’s central tool is a short video titled “The Sound of Glass”, designed to communicate clear separation practices to staff in hospitality settings.
Campaign materials will be shared through national partners to reach operators across the EU and the UK, where the hospitality sector is estimated to account for nearly 20 % of Europe’s glass recycling potential.
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By GlobalDataMulti-stakeholder partnership aims for higher collection rates
Close the Glass Loop is a European action platform that brings together glass producers, recyclers, municipalities, waste management schemes and hospitality organisations with a shared objective: achieving a 90 % glass packaging collection for recycling rate in the EU by 2030.
The partnership fosters material stewardship across the value chain, promoting best practice in selective collection and supporting sorting and treatment technologies that can deliver high-quality glass cullet for bottle-to-bottle recycling.
The platform also works through 13 national platforms to tailor solutions to local collection systems and regulatory environments.
Implications for the hotel sector and hospitality sustainability
For hotel operators and hospitality professionals, improving glass recycling rates means integrating better waste separation practices into daily operations.
With around 2 million hospitality establishments across the EU and UK identified as key contributors to glass waste streams, training staff to avoid contamination—such as preventing ceramics entering glass bins—is positioned as critical to achieving circularity goals.
Supporting these operational shifts can help hotels align with broader sustainability and circular economy objectives, where recycling and reuse of materials like glass reduce reliance on virgin resources and contribute to waste reduction targets.
