A BARMAN who was alarmed about the amount of glass being wasted by pubs has been inspired to launch his own business.

Gary Harland has launched Glasscycle, which is offering a glass recycling service to the pub trade.

It has quickly won work with 10 pubs installing bins which can hold up to 800 crushed bottles at a time. He then collects and recycles them.

The 35-year-old, from Pegswood, Northumberland, said: “As a bar manager I could see how much glass wasn’t being recycled efficiently and I started to think about how this could be changed for the benefit of the environment and businesses.

“Supplying on-site crushing machines will reduce the volume of glass waste by up to 80%.

“This will save both space in the waste disposal area and money on waste collection. The system also reduces noise levels, creates a more efficient working place and reduces health and safety concerns.

“I am firstly concentrating on rural areas of Northumberland before expanding into Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland where there is huge demand to reduce waste, costs and the number of bins outside premises. The second phase of the business will be to take this across the UK,” he said.

“I have also started working with the restaurant and hotel trade and have been contacted by several local parish councils, so I’m looking to set up a community-based project that benefits not just the community but the environment.”

He started the business with a £10,000 grant and help from the Coast and Lowlands Local Action Group, which delivers money through the LEADER approach, funded by One North East.

The funding will be used to buy required start-up machinery and wheelie bins to allow him to establish the business which is quickly gathering momentum.

A similar glass recycling service is currently used in Scotland to much success but hasn’t been adopted in England. The UK glass industry recycled 751,845 tonnes of glass in 2006. The energy saving from recycling one bottle will power a 60 watt light bulb for 100 minutes, power a computer for 25 minutes or power a colour television for 20 minutes.

One North East’s Adrian Sherwood said: “This new business is an excellent example of how funding can be used to support innovative business start ups.

“Glasscycle sets out to prove that it isn’t a costly venture to recycle while bringing benefits for businesses and reducing carbon footprint.”