On the eve of World Oceans Day, Friends of Glass is inviting everyone to raise their glass to the health of our seas with the launch of the ‘Endless Ocean’ campaign.
According to a recent survey carried out by the Friends of Glass community, three out of four Britons rate glass as the most ocean-friendly packaging choice.
In fact 72% of Europeans consider their impact on the ocean as a lifestyle priority, starting with the products they buy and how they are packaged.
Since the release of BBC’s Blue Planet II in 2017, concern over the state of our oceans has exponentially grown, and public attention has increasingly focused on the need to make more sustainable choices in everyday life. Reassuringly, 83% of Britons have reported a change in their behaviour and are now paying more attention to the environmental impact of their everyday decisions. What’s more, 78% of Britons would rate glass among their top choices for food and drink packaging.
For the new Endless Ocean https://youtu.be/0W9UPevkbW0 campaign video, Danish band The Bottle Boys and Spanish pro-surfer Aritz Aranburu joined members of the Friends of Glass community from all over Europe to sing along to Charles Trenet’s ‘La Mer’ – the iconic love song to the sea – culminating in a sunset toast to the ocean.
Footage can be found on Friends of Glass channels including https://youtu.be/0W9UPevkbW0 Twitter and Facebook
“As concerns about the state of our seas are at an all-time high, there’s never been a better time to reconnect with what we love about the ocean and do whatever we can to protect it. Choosing glass and always recycling it is one simple action we can all take that will help us on that journey” comments Brook Hayes, Communications Manager at British Glass, which runs the Friends of Glass UK activity.
Crucially, glass bottles and jars are made from recycled glass, sand, soda ash and limestone. All of the raw ingredients of glass occur in nature, and its unique properties mean that even if a glass container were to end up in the ocean or landfill, rather than being recycled, it will not release any harmful chemicals that may pollute and harm our marine systems.
Raise your glass and join the movement on World Oceans Day by sharing your tribute using the hashtag #CheersToTheOcean
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Learn more about Friends of Glass on Twitter and Facebook
Join us as a Friend of Glass at www.friendsofglass.co.uk
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For further information contact:
Amanda Barry-Hirst, 07860 313576 / 01854 612248 amanda@thirdrockcomms.co.uk
Debra Pieri, 07801 545462
Since the release of BBC’s Blue Planet II in 2017, concern over the state of our oceans has exponentially grown, and public attention has increasingly focused on the need to make more sustainable choices in everyday life. Reassuringly, 78% of Europeans have reported a change in their behaviour and are now paying more attention to the environmental impact of their everyday decisions. A further 78% of Europeans would rate glass among their top choices for food and drink packaging.
For centuries, there’s been one shared way humans have wished good health to one another: by raising their glass in a toast. Now it’s time to raise a glass to our oceans and recognise that a change in our personal choices and behaviour is necessary to protect our planet for future generations.
Speaking ahead of World Oceans Day, on Friday 8th June, Adeline Farrelly – Secretary General of FEVE, the European Container Glass Federation commented, “When it comes to the environment, conversation about packaging waste usually flows back to one place: the ocean. We all love the ocean, but it’s estimated that by 2050, there will be more litter than fish in our seas. This is having an impact on how European consumers are choosing to shop.”
“Glass has endless lives; but the oceans and seas will not if we don’t take care of them. Our Europe-wide Consumer Barometer generated 6,300 responses in the space of just four weeks so it is clear that this is an issue close to people’s hearts. By simply buying and recycling one extra glass bottle each week, you can contribute to protecting our rivers, seas and oceans.”
Glass possesses unrivalled eco-friendly credentials. It is infinitely recyclable: in Europe, 74% of all glass packaging is collected for recycling. Glass is made from sand, recycled glass and other ingredients found in nature. Because glass is virtually inert, even if a glass container were to end up in our seas, no harmful chemicals are leached, nor does glass end up as micro particles in our food chain that may also pollute the oceans.
This summer, Friends of Glass is inviting people to come together in a global toast to our seas and oceans. To this end, Friends of Glass recently announced a partnership with Surfrider Foundation Europe, a marine conservation organisation that seeks to protect the ocean for future generations. This partnership guarantees the preservation of 300,000 m² of beach while highlighting the impact of marine litter.
Danish band The Bottle Boys and Spanish pro-surfer Aritz Aranburu joined members of the Friends of Glass community from all over Europe to sing along to Charles Trenet’s iconic song ‘La Mer,’ culminating in a sunset toast to the ocean. Footage can be found on Friends of Glass channels including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook
Raise a glass and join the movement on World Oceans Day by sharing your tribute using the hashtag #CheersToTheOcean
To view the ‘Endless Ocean’ video content subtitled in different languages, check out the following links:
In English: https://youtu.be/0W9UPevkbW0
In French: https://youtu.be/I5PkiFvp95o
In German: https://youtu.be/-u3D6nNX2Ro
In Italian: https://youtu.be/ifGbBB0vLgw
In Spanish: https://youtu.be/6rj9Lct2HAE
In Polish: https://youtu.be/a9Zxo7Qp2HU
In Slovak: https://youtu.be/yRNr_I5mwak
In Czech: https://youtu.be/ywq95uHc7jI
In Croatian: https://youtu.be/L31RbJlA9Rg
Notes to Editors
About Friends of Glass
Friends of Glass is a pan-European community dedicated to promoting the right for consumers to be able to choose the food and drink products they love in glass packaging. Friends of Glass unites all those who believe glass is the clear choice for themselves, their families and for the environment. Friends of Glass UK is managed by British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation.
About British Glass
As the representative body for the UK industry, British Glass communicates the sector’s value and interests – as well as fostering the collaboration and innovation – to secure a thriving, sustainable future for glass. British Glass helps members companies from across the glass supply chain to work constructively with industry and government stakeholders.
About FEVE: FEVE is the Federation of European manufacturers of glass packaging for food and beverages as well as flacons for perfumery, cosmetics and pharmacy. The association has some 60 corporate members belonging to over 20 independent corporate groups. Its members produce 80 billion glass containers per year, and include major companies working for the world’s biggest consumer brands. With its 160 manufacturing plants located across 23 European States, the industry is a key economic partner in Europe, and maintains 125.000 jobs along the total supply chain. See more on www.feve.org – Join us on Twitter @FeveEU
About the Consumer Barometer
This Europe-wide social media survey was targeted at consumers in 12 countries: Germany, France, Italy, UK, Spain, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Turkey, from 29 March to 27 April 2018. The purpose was to explore consumers’ attitudes toward packaging materials, and to spark a conversation on the environmental benefits of glass packaging.Overall, 6,256 responses were collected (316 UK). For more information about the findings from the pan-European survey, visit news.friendsofglass.com
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