NC Awards Grants to Encourage Container Recycling at Bars and Restaurants

The North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance has awarded $182,242 in grants to five municipalities and eight private companies to encourage development and expansion of bottle and can recycling at bars and restaurants.

Grants are geared to helping businesses meet the law requiring more than 8,000 ABC permit holders to recycle their containers, which went in to effect January of this year. "What these grants do is leverage the capacity in these communities and business to help ABC permit-holders come into compliance with the law," says Scott Mouw, Chief, Community and Business Assistance, NC DPPEA.

Funding will provide for carts, containers, trucks dedicated to container recycling, drop-off centers, glass storage bunkers, and other capital investments to expand the collection infrastructure in larger cities as well as rural areas.

"The other nice thing about these grants is that in some cases they've created new recycling services where none existed before," says Mouw, "especially in some of the smaller towns." For example, the City of Washington was able to use funding to provide recycling services to all their bars and restaurants. "This is a community that wasn't well-covered by private recyclers, so we were really happy to support that," says Mouw. "For most of these grant recipients, just providing a small amount of funding is helping to make a program feasible."

"While some communities still need to figure out how to come into compliance," says Mouw, "we are seeing patterns develop of who has service and who doesn't so that we can better assist them." The law is also stimulating small companies to get into the recycling business, including providing hauling and collection services in smaller and more rural communities.

Proposals for a second round of grant funding totaling $300,000 ended February 1. "This is a general grant cycle for recycling businesses of all kinds, but we anticipate some funded projects will be focused on the ABC issue," says Mouw.

See a list of grant recipients and their projects

SUSTAINABILITY

O-I World Headquarters Awarded Silver LEED Certification

Sustainability and Purity Reflected in Glass Products and Company's New Home

The new world headquarters for Owens-Illinois, Inc. in Perrysburg, Ohio, has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's silver LEED certification, recognizing the structure as environmentally-friendly. O-I's ethic around sustainability and purity are reflected in the building's functionality and aesthetic design, which are also found in O-I's core product--glass.

"Everything from the materials used, and the recycling of scrap materials, to waterless urinals and a system to irrigate the grounds with water from a pond, lends to the environmentally-friendly construction and maintenance of the building," said Frank Butler, O-I's director of global real estate.

Construction for the new headquarters began in August 2005, and O-I employees started moving into the new $20 million headquarters in August 2006. O-I chose the Lathrop Company as well as architecture and engineering firm Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. to provide design-build services for the 100,000 square-foot building.

"As non-renewable resources become consumed and non-recyclable waste piles up, environmentally-responsible construction practices continue to be at the forefront of the construction industry and at the top of minds for sustainability-focused companies such as O-I," said Joe Zunk, project superintendent, specializing in LEED certification at Lathrop Company.

Established by the U.S. Green Buildings Council, the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Get the news release

Gourmet Sauces Go Green with Light-Weight Glass Bottles

With a "green" design in mind, Melanie's Fine Foods, maker and distributor of gourmet products for kitchen and grill, redesigned the logo, label graphics, and chose a slimmer bottle for its line of Big Acres gourmet sauces. The glass package, now thinner at the base, went from 13 oz. to 11.8 oz.--a reduction of 8% (249 grams versus 230 grams).

The San Carlos, California, company has been honored with a Bay Area Green Business Certification from County of San Mateo - Recycle Works for its efforts to divert solid waste, become more energy efficient, conserve water, and prevent pollution. More

PACKAGING TRENDS

Save the Date for GPI's 2008 Clear Choice Awards

Be the First to See the Best in Glass

Join the Glass Packaging Institute on Monday, May 5, 2008 (during the Food Marketing Institute 2008 Show) to honor the best in glass packaging design at the 2008 Clear Choice Awards. Enjoy complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with this year's award winners.

When:
Monday, May 5, 2008
4:30 - 5:00 pm Open Bar and Hors d'oeuvres
5:00 - 5:30pm Awards Presentation

Where:
Luxor Hotel and Casino
Egyptian Ballroom B-C
3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV

Don't miss out! RSVP by April 25th

Survey Reveals Consumers Consider Packaging When Making Shopping Decisions

A 2007 survey of more than 22,000 U.S. consumers, conducted by Information Resources Inc., found that nearly 50% consider at least one "sustainability" factor when selecting products. For many shoppers, the materials used to package products have become deciding factors when choosing which brands to buy and where to buy them.

Survey respondents were asked to consider organic, environment-friendly products and packaging, and the treatment of employees and suppliers pertaining to sustainability issues. Here's what they said:

• About 25% of consumers who responded consider two or more sustainability factors when making purchasing decisions.
• Twenty-nine percent of respondents said eco-friendly packaging influences their brand selection, and 21% favor stores that offer a good selection of products with environmentally friendly packaging.
• Among baby boomers and smaller households, sustainability factors are particularly important.
• Price may outweigh sustainability as a purchase-decision variable in larger households with budget constraints.

More

LEGISLATION

Virginia Introduces Glass Container Recycling Legislation

Rep. John Cosgrove (R) introduced legislation (HB1549) that would require all "on-premises" ABC licensees to recycle glass containers, if they are located within 50 miles of a recycling center. The legislation is similar to an existing law in North Carolina requiring ABC permit holders to recycle bottles and cans. Virginia legislation also includes a $50 civil penalty (per day) for each establishment in violation. This bill is currently in the Assembly Committee on Laws awaiting further action.

New Jersey Governor Signs Recycling Enhancement Act

Governor Jon Corzine has signed AB 1886, the "Recycling Enhancement Act", which restores a $3 per-ton recycling tax on all solid waste not transported to either a recycling center or MRF. Revenue from this program is estimated to bring $24 million per year to the state, which will be used by state and local agencies to enhance their recycling programs. 60% of this money will be used specifically for municipal and county recycling.

GLASS RECYCLING

EU Reaches Glass Recycling Targets

A full 61% of glass packaging consumed in Europe was recycled in 2006, according to figures from FEVE, the EU trade federation. In 12 states, the EU glass recycling target of 60%, to be reached in 2008-2014 (depending on the country) was achieved or exceeded. Although some national data were not available for 2005, once again the growth of glass recycling exceeded that of glass container production in 2006.

Growth was particularly strong in Italy (at 59%), Portugal, Spain and the UK, which are among countries with the highest growth potential for glass recycling. Countries achieving the 60% recycling target in 2006 were Austria (84%), Belgium (91%), Czech Republic (76%), Denmark (75%), Finland (72%), France (60%), Germany (89%), Ireland (81%), The Netherlands (77%), Norway (90%), Sweden (92%) and Switzerland (96%).

Rhode Island Businesses Told to Recycle

State officials have given notice to 2,300 Rhode Island businesses to improve their recycling rate. Despite a state law requiring businesses to recycle, it is estimated that the commercial recycling rate is around 3%. In February 2009 mandatory recycling regulations will be enforced.

Companies with 50 or more employees were given deadlines for drawing up annual plans for waste audits and recycling. Glass is among the 17 types of materials the state requested be part of these business recycling plans.

Approximately 60% of the waste buried in the landfill (about 700,000 tons annually) comes from businesses. The state's Central Landfill, which is expected to reach capacity within the next two years, is forcing the state to explore options such as a $70-million expansion plan. More

Curbside Glass Recycling Returns to St. Johns County, FL

Starting this month over 31,000 residents in northern St. Johns County, FL will again be able to recycle glass bottles with other curbside recyclables. Residents petitioned for a return to curbside glass recycling, which was halted in 2005, and the St. Johns County Commission approved a $370,000 pilot program that runs through October 1. Now all Seaboard Waste System customers can recycle glass bottles and jars. More

1000 WORDS

Glass Again Proves the Clear Choice

Students at Bowling Green State University help shoppers make the clear choice, and showcase why "glass is better in so many ways." Watch the video

Copyright © 2007 Glass Packaging Institute 

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