Plastic bottle tops turn to pounds for local charity

Local Rotarian and Church groups have collected over 4.5 million milk bottle tops in a community charity plastics recycling initiative which will see them receive a cheque for £1,080 from The CK Group, a European provider of recycled plastic regrind.

After collecting 3.6 tonnes of plastic milk bottle tops over the past year, Isobel Johnston, President of the Rotary Club of Galashiels, Scotland, was presented with a cheque by Alan Gillie Operations Manager of the CK Polymers processing facility based in Charlesfield in the Scottish Borders.

“The ongoing project raises funds for palliative care in the Scottish Borders. Many people from across the Borders and beyond collect the plastic tops from their milk bottles,” explained Johnston. “About 300kgs are delivered to the factory each month.”

Other organisations, including the Rotary Club of Kelso, schools and their janitors, cafes, restaurants, churches, shops and other businesses as well as individuals collect the milk bottle tops, with the plastic collected recycled and manufactured into the outer sheathing for fibre optic cables.

Presenting the cheque, Alan Gillie said: “Most plastics recycling companies do not have facilities to cope with small individual collections on behalf of charities so the fact these groups have worked together to amass this bulk quantity has ensured its maximum value as recycled plastic can be realised and put to good use to help worthwhile causes.”