December 29, 2008 - Poll: 1 in 4 Americans Plan to Make Recycling Their New Year's Resolution; Findings Kicked-off First Ever Annual Recycle Glass Day Event

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2008

Contact: Kristen LeKander
Kristen@Lindberggrp.com
(703) 778 - 7644

Poll: 1 in 4 Americans Plan to Make Recycling Their New Year's Resolution
Findings Kicked-off First Ever Annual Recycle Glass Day Event

Alexandria, Virginia, December 29, 2008 - According to a new poll released by the Glass Packaging Institute and Opinion Research, one-in-four (27%) Americans plan to make a New Year’s resolution this year to recycle more, and a majority of Americans (71%) planned to recycle following holiday parties, gatherings, or meals this year. The poll of 1,005 respondents was conducted November 20-23 by Opinion Research for the Glass Packaging Institute. It has a margin of error of +/- 3%.

The poll was conducted in conjunction with the Glass Packaging Institute’s (GPI) Recycle Glass Day (www.gpi.org/recycleglassday), which took place on December 10, 2008. By recycling their glass bottles and jars, Americans are making a New Year’s resolution this year to recycle more and committing to recycle at holiday gatherings. Recycle Glass Day will become an annual event to help build national awareness about benefits of glass container recycling for the environment.

“We are very excited about the response to our first-ever Recycle Glass Day and people’s commitments to recycle more in 2009,” said Joseph Cattaneo, president of the Glass Packaging Institute. “Recycling your glass bottles and jars saves energy and the environment as glass is 100 percent recyclable in a closed-loop system.”

In conjunction with Recycle Glass Day, GPI has also committed to using at least 50 percent of recycled glass available to manufacture new glass bottles and jars by 2013. Using the EPA’s benefits calculator, GPI estimates energy savings from using 50% recycled content in all glass packages manufactured in the US could save enough energy to power over 45,000 households for a year.

“The Glass Packaging Institute and its member companies have long been committed to recycling of glass and other materials,” said Cattaneo. “We plan to accelerate support of legislative and regulatory measures that will dramatically improve glass recycling systems in order to reach our environmental goals.”

Today, glass is the proven form of packaging for those who are looking for sustainability, purity, and recyclability. Glass is made from all-natural, sustainable raw materials and recycled glass also minimizes consumption of raw materials and lessens the industry’s demand for energy. As a rule of thumb, for every 1 percent of recycled glass used, energy costs drop 0.5 percent. A 10 percent increase in recycled glass use decreases fossil fuel emissions by 2.5 percent and decreases particulate emissions by 7 percent.

Survey Methodology
The 2008 National Holiday Recycling Study was conducted by telephone, with interviewing from November 20 - 23, 2008. The sample consisted of 1,005 adults, 504 men and 501 women, 18 years of age or older, living in the Continental United States. The survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, Caravan® Omnibus, with a margin of error of plus/minus 3.2 percentage points for the general population.

About the Glass Packaging Institute
The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) is the trade association representing the North American glass container industry. Through GPI, glass container manufacturers speak with one voice to advocate industry standards, promote sound environmental policies and educate packaging professionals. www.gpi.org

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