The Recycling Investment Saves Energy (RISE) Act passed the House of Representatives, 263 – 171, as part of the overall Senate financial rescue plan and was signed into law by President Bush. It was included in the energy extenders provision of the rescue plan and introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL).

As signed into law, the RISE Act provides a special depreciation allowance equal to 50% for qualified reuse and recycling property. This is defined as any machinery and equipment (excluding buildings and real estate) which is used exclusively to collect, distribute, or recycle qualified reuse and recyclable materials, including software. The RISE Act also statutorily defines the terms recyclable material and recycling for the first time.

“GPI has actively supported this legislation for the past two Congressional sessions,” says Joe Cattaneo, GPI President. “We believe the legislation will help enable recycling and processing businesses to purchase the latest equipment in sorting technology.”

It is also anticipated that this legislation will lead to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for glass and other types of packaging, as well as lowered energy usage as recycled materials are more readily available and utilized. Get the full text of the RISE Act and corresponding definitions. The RISE provision is Section 308, beginning on page 229.

O-I To Be Featured on National Geographic’s ”Factory Floor”

”Factory Floor” with Marshall Brain, a National Geographic Channel television show that opens the factory doors to show how everyday items are made, will feature a segment on glass packaging Thursday, October 16th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

During the glass packaging segment, Dan Armagost, plant manager of the Tracy, Calif., facility, leads Factory Floor through the glass plant, explaining various aspects of the manufacturing process. Find out more to watch

GPI Launches Carbon Calculator

Find out how much energy you save
by recycling glass containers

Use the Carbon Calculator, now on the Recycle Glass Day website, to find out how much carbon you save from recycling glass containers.

Using recycled glass reduces the amount of energy needed to make new glass bottles and jars. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a 60-watt bulb for four hours, a computer for 30 minutes or a television for 20 minutes. That’s just one bottle! See how much energy you’re saving

Find out more about how you, your family, or your community can do its part to save energy and make a positive impact on the environment by recycling glass containers. Celebrate Recycle Glass Day on December 10, 2008!

“Glass Works” Column Makes Case For Sustainability

Beginning with the October issue, Ceramic Industry magazine will feature a quarterly glass column written by GPI President Joe Cattaneo. This first column makes the case for glass containers as sustainable packaging. Read the “GLASS WORKS” column

PACKAGING TRENDS

A Look Inside: Red Gold’s Switch
to Glass for Premium Salsas

On GPI’s “TIP” podcast, Colt Reichart with Red Gold, Inc. talks about how a new glass package helped Red Gold salsas put some “zest” in their image.

According to Reichart, “After we switched to the new 16 oz. squat glass jar, we saw an immediate response. We saw an increase of 14% in cases sold, and our salsa now has the most compliments of any product in our lineup.”

Listen to the podcast or read on for a transcript

September Podcast

Welcome to Truth in Packaging, the podcast dedicated to helping keep your carbon footprint small and your food pure. And now here is Kristen LeKander with our stories.

GPI: We’re excited to speak with Colt Reichart from Red Gold, Inc. Red Gold recently switched from cans to glass for their premium salsas. Hi Colt, thanks for joining us today.

COLT: Thanks for having me.

GPI: After packaging your mild and medium salsas in cans for a decade, what prompted you to make to the move to glass?

COLT: Consumers were contacting us with complaints regarding our salsa’s package. They disliked our can because it was hard to open, and once they had it open, the edges were sharp on the lid, and it was also not a hundred percent resealable. So eventually it had the most complaints of any product we produced. So from 1997 to 2004, our sales had declined 63% due to one thing, and that was the package. And it also didn’t help that we were the only brand in a can at the time. It didn’t provide a premium look for our salsa. Plus since it was a can, it was not being stocked on the shelf with the other glass salsas and it made it hard to find.

GPI: What was the process once you decided to switch from cans to selecting a glass design?

COLT: After listening to the feedback from our consumers, we did an analysis of the existing category. We found out what [container] had the dominant share of the category, and we looked at that size and that package material. We also measured the growth rate change versus a year ago, and we determined that a glass jar was a category standard and that the 16 oz. jar was the dominant size. Thus, we determined 16 oz. glass containers were the way to go for our salsas since we would be co-packing for other brands and manufacturers.

GPI: How has glass packaging contributed to your brand’s image and/or sales?

COLT: The switch not only showcased our wonderful product in the clear container, but it let our customers know we were listening to them, and that’s always a good thing. The success of our own salsa also led to more retail customers wanting to carry our product and our private label customers now want Red Gold to produce their salsa as well.

GPI: Can you share any specific consumer feedback to your switch to glass?

COLT: After we switched to the new 16 oz. squat glass jar, we saw an immediate response. We saw an increase of 14% in cases sold, and our salsa now has the most compliments of any product in our lineup.

GPI: How important is sustainable packaging to your product marketing?

COLT: It’s extremely important. Red Gold is committed to finding ways to increase the use of sustainable packaging and we actively participate in biodiversity programs, such as wetland development and family farm preservation.

GPI: And will glass continue to be your material of choice in the future?

COLT: Glass is an important part of our salsa product future and will probably be the package of choice for the life of this particular product.

GPI: Thanks Colt, thanks for joining us today and if you would like to learn more about Red Gold salsas, please visit the Red Gold website at redgold.com.

That’s it for this week’s Truth In Packaging podcast, you can click on “tell a friend” to forward this podcast to someone who may find it of interest and you can go to truthinpackaging.org find links to these stories and to read more on how you can keep your foods and our planet pure.

Natural and Organic Food and Beverage Sales to Continue Growing

According to a Packaged Facts report, estimates of 2008 sales of natural and organic food and beverages will continue at a double-digit growth rate to reach $32.9 billion. For the period between 2005 and 2008, the report estimates market growth of 67.6% with a compounded annual growth rate of 18.8%. They project strong single-digit growth through 2013, despite economic uncertainty.

Packaged Facts is a publisher of market research in the food, beverage, consumer packaged goods, and demographic sectors. This data comes from the second edition of its report, “Natural and Organic Food and Beverage Trends in the U.S.” More

GLASS RECYCLING

NC’s ABC Law Proves a Boost
to Container Recycling

During the National Recycling Coalition’s annual conference in September, Scott Mouw, NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, presented implementation results to date on the state’s January 1, 2008 legislation requiring all Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) permit holders to recycle beverage containers.

According to Mouw, annualized tonnage reported by service providers plus self-haul tonnage adds up to 33,750 tons of glass bottles, plastic, and cans collected for recycling as a result of the law. The DPPEA survey of service providers also found 4,097 using private haulers and 565 using public collection programs.

Of the 8,500 establishments holding ABC permits, the DPPEA estimates that 6,420 are in compliance with the law, although those reporting compliance is 7,478. Costs to businesses are primarily for collection charges and rental/purchase of containers.

The law has also created approximately 10 new businesses, which started up to collect ABC materials. Many small haulers/recycling companies have also added ABC recycling to their services. More

Curt Bucey, SMI, Elected to NRC Board

	From top left: Scott Seydel, Scott Reed, Scott Vitter, John Casella, Susan Kattchee, Gary Wygant, & Curt Bucey From bottom left: English Bird, Murray Fox, Fran McPoland, David Refkin, & Melinda Uerling

Curt Bucey, President & C.O.O., Strategic Materials (Houston), the largest U.S. glass recycling company, has been elected as a new board member of the National Recycling Coalition. Bucey will serve as the Board’s Treasurer during the 2008-2009 calendar year.

Joining Bucey as new board members are Fran McPoland (Paper Recycling Coalition), Scott Reed (Target), David Struhs (International Paper), Joe VanRossum (University of Wisconsin Extension-Solid & Hazardous Waste Education Center), and Gary Wygant (Coca-Cola Recycling) who was elected to serve a second term. More

Greenstar Begins Commercial
Single-Stream Recycling in PA

Houston-based Greenstar North America, a private processor of recyclables, announced the roll-out of commercial single stream recycling collection services in Pennsylvania.

According to Steve Ragiel, CEO Greenstar N.A., this service will provide a "more convenient system for recovering recyclables at offices, malls, universities and similar locations." Commercial single stream allows customers to mix all dry recyclables in one container including corrugated boxes, office paper, newspapers, bottles, and cans.

Greenstar's Pennsylvania operations include material recovery facilities in Pittsburgh-Neville Island, Carnegie and Northampton-Allentown. More

Coke and NRC Accepting Applications
for Bin Grants

Application for grants to purchase recycling bins for beverage containers is now open. The Coca-Cola/NRC Recycling Bin Grant Program supports community recycling programs by providing bins to grant recipients for collection of beverage containers in public settings. Program is open to government, civic, school, non-profits, and businesses. Deadline to apply for the fall grant is October 17. Download an application

1000 WORDS

Video Makes For Fun Learning
About Glass Bottle Recycling

As part of the Glass Recycling Exhibit at the Bristol Museum in the UK, this “Willy Wonka”-style video demonstrates the glass container recycling process in the ideal world to youngsters (and adults). Check it out

Copyright © 2008 Glass Packaging Institute 

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