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. More
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. More
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. 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. Get recycling rates by country
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
If you, or someone you know would like to subscribe to "Inside Glass Packaging," or if you'd like to unsubscribe, please let us know at info@gpi.org. If you'd like to unsubscribe, you can also click here. |
Organic and natural food and beverage consumer product companies continue to choose glass for its purity and premium image. 
Coca-Cola has purchased a 40% stake in Honest Tea, maker of premium organic, low-calorie teas, many of which are packaged in glass. Non-carbonated beverages are a strong growth sector, with bottled tea volume up 24% in the first nine months of 2007 compared with 2006, according to Beverage Digest. 
Several of the U.K.'s biggest brewers, including Miller Genuine Draft, Strongbow, Cobra, and Marston's, have switched to lightweight glass bottles to meet consumer demand for environmentally-friendly packaging. SAB Miller, Scottish & Newcastle, Marston's, Wells & Young's, and Frederic Robinson's have trimmed bottle weight for some products by 8% to 24%. The combined effort of these five brewers has saved 3,800 ton of glass and 2,515 ton of CO2—the equivalent of taking more than 800 cars off the road.