Online Scavenger Hunt Aims to Educate Consumers about Benefits of Recycling Glass for Chance to Win Prizes during Recycle Glass Week, September 12-18

GPI has launched the “Recycle Glass Week e-hunt”, a virtual scavenger hunt to educate consumers about the value of glass bottle recycling. Little Bottle, an animated character created by Saint-Gobain Containers, will guide recycling enthusiasts, glass lovers, and green people everywhere through this easy online search for a chance to win iPod shuffles, t-shirts, cash, and more.

“We hope the recycle e-hunt proves a fun way to educate about the environmental benefits of glass container recycling, and that it will encourage people to recycle more glass bottles and jars,” says GPI president Joseph Cattaneo. “Recycling glass saves energy, reduces use of raw materials, and lessens CO2 emissions. Recycling your glass containers will help glass container manufacturers to meet the goal to use 50 percent recycled glass in the manufacture of new glass bottles and jars by 2013.”

GPI has partnered with Earth911.com, O-I, Race Across America, and Saint-Gobain Containers to host recycle e-hunt clues. GPI is launching the recycle e-hunt in advance of its sponsorship of Race Across America’s (RAAM) 2010 cycling event, June 12-18, and will announce recycle e-hunt prize winners during GPI’s second annual Recycle Glass Week, September 12-18. More

Start the e-hunt now

Join GPI in Recycling Across America During 2010 Cycling Event

As the exclusive environmental sponsor for Race Across America’s (RAAM) 2010 cycling event, June 12-18, GPI’s Recycle Glass Week will help to host five race time stations: Oceanside, California (June 12th); Durango, Colorado (June 12th); Bloomington, Indiana (June 17th); Oxford, Ohio (June 18th); and Annapolis, Maryland (June 19th).

At each time station, local residents are welcome to stop by to recycle their glass bottles and jars, and other containers, for a chance to win organic Recycle Glass Week/Race Across America t-shirts, stickers, affinity bracelets, and endlessly recyclable glass water bottles courtesy of Saint-Gobain Containers. Local recycling representatives will also be on hand to talk with community residents about local recycling programs.

RAAM has 54 time stations across the 3,000-mile course where racers report the time they arrived to race headquarters. Don’t miss seeing these athletes as they cycle through your town during the toughest endurance bicycle race in America. More

New Survey Finds Consumers Trust Glass Containers For Health and the Environment

Health conscious (87%) and environmentally conscious (83%) American consumers trust glass bottles and jars to protect their foods and beverages—and themselves—from harmful chemicals often found in alternative packaging materials, according to a survey of one thousand Americans conducted by Opinion Research for the Glass Packaging Institute.

“Glass is made from all-natural resources—sand, soda ash, limestone, and recycled glass—and with a 400-year history in the American marketplace, glass is the only packaging material 'generally recognized as safe' by the U.S. FDA for food and beverage contact,” says GPI president, Joseph Cattaneo. “Glass is the only packaging material that fully preserves the original taste of food and beverages.”

Consumers believe glass bottles and jars (60%) have the least negative impact on their health compared to other packaging materials, such as plastic (9%) and aluminum (7%). Two-thirds (66%) of respondents say knowing that a food or beverage container has an impact on their health influences their purchasing habits.

In fact, most (81%) respondents have seen, read, or heard that certain containers leach or seep chemicals into foods and beverages, and think glass bottles and jars (7%) are least likely to leach or seep chemicals while plastic bottles or containers are most likely (82%). More

O-I Announces Aggressive Plan To Reduce Carbon Footprint

Glass packaging manufacturer Owens-Illinois, Inc., has announced plans to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions across its worldwide operations over the next decade.

O-I recently conducted a complete life cycle assessment of the environmental impact of glass containers, which will serve as a baseline for tracking the company's progress. "Our recent life cycle assessment showed that glass already has a smaller carbon footprint than other packaging materials. But, we see room for additional improvement in the carbon footprint of glass and our company as the world's leading maker of glass packaging," said O-I Chief Executive Officer Al Stroucken.

With 2007 as a baseline, O-I intends to achieve by 2017 cuts in global energy consumption by 50%, a reduction in carbon dioxide-equivalent emission by 65%, and nearly double its use of recycled glass to reach of global average of 60% recycled content. More

Two Months Left to Enter the 2010 Clear Choice Awards

The Glass Packaging Institute celebrates the 21st year of the Clear Choice Awards, which recognizes the contribution glass packaging makes to the image, marketability, sustainability and success of food, beverage and cosmetic products. Clear Choice Awards winners will be announced on the GPI website the week of September 12, during GPI’s Recycle Glass Week.

GPI will award top package designs in the following categories: Beer, Wine, Food, Carbonated Beverage, Non-Carbonated Beverage, Distilled Spirits, Flavored Alcoholic Beverage, Organic Food or Beverage, and Fragrance/Cosmetics/Other. GPI will also choose one glass package to receive the Clear Choice Award for Overall Package Design, and honor eligible entries with GPI’s Conversion Recognition.

PACKAGING TRENDS

Vitro Announces “Vino Lite” Reduced-Weight Wine Bottles

Vitro Packaging has launched the Vino Lite Collection of reduced weight glass wine bottles to support the wine industry’s demand for light-weight stock wine molds and fill a marketplace need for more sustainable wine bottle offerings. Vitro has created a collection of bottles that are 20% lighter, on average, than its current stock bottles. The Vino Lite bottles also offer a similar look to current stock bottles, so there is no sacrificing appearance for a greener bottle.

“Our launch of the Vino Lite Collection by Vitro was in direct response to customer requirements to design a more environmentally friendly reduced weight container without sacrificing the appearance of the package,” says John T. Shaddox, President of Vitro Packaging. “With this new family of products Vitro has broadened its already extensive portfolio of shapes and sizes to include options that satisfy the ever growing ‘green’ movement, without forcing customers to give up the existing shelf space look of their wine.”

Glass Packaging Sector of Saint-Gobain Launches New International Brand

Glass bottle and jar manufacturer Saint-Gobain Containers, and all Saint-Gobain glass packaging businesses worldwide, will now market itself and its products under a new brand name, “Verallia."

This new international brand will unify all the glass packaging businesses of Saint-Gobain under the Verallia brand. The new brand was established to raise the profile of the Saint-Gobain glass packaging business with its markets, customers, manufacturing network, and regional economies.

“The Verallia brand was also created to reflect our values and our unique business model that is built upon the combination of strength and proximity: the strength of a worldwide manufacturing and sales network, and the proximity that we cultivate every day with our customers and business partners,” said Jérôme Fessard, CEO of the Packaging Sector. More

O-I Offers North America Winemakers “Lean and Green” Bottles

Glass container manufacturer O-I has announced the launch of its lightest ever North American wine bottle, which is up to 27% lighter than similar wine bottles. Manufactured at O-I’s California facilities, the new bottles weigh in at just 11.6 ounces. O-I is also launching a 13-ounce 750 mL claret bottle.

The bottles are part of O-I’s global Lean+Green® initiative to create strong, durable, yet lighter bottles using advanced manufacturing techniques. O-I’s lightweight bottles will provide for a carbon dioxide savings of more than 89 tonnes based on production of one million bottles.

“O-I developed its lighter wine bottles to meet the same strict quality standards of our traditional wine bottles," said Stan Gossett, VP and Category Director for North America Wine. "We are proud to offer additional lightweight packaging options that help customers realize higher environmental savings, while retaining the strength and premium image for which O-I packaging is known." More

LEGISLATION

Delaware House Passes Bottle Bill Repeal, Bill Sent To Governor

The Delaware House passed Senate Bill 234, which rescinds the state’s container deposit law and institutes statewide single-stream curbside recycling for residents. The deposits paid on the covered containers will be discontinued on December 1, 2010. Single stream recycling would need to be provided to all single-family homes by September 15, 2011. Delaware Governor Jack Markell (D) strongly supports this legislation and his office has indicated he will sign the bill into law.

The state’s container deposit law currently includes a 5-cent deposit on glass beer bottles and smaller plastic carbonated drink containers. Aluminum containers were exempted from the program in 1994. The single-stream recycling program will be funded through 2014 with a 4-cent tax (at the point of purchase) on glass beer bottles and smaller plastic soda bottles. Funds generated from the tax will be used to purchase collection trucks and bins, and related grant programs and administrative costs.

Recent studies published in Resource Recycling have cited the detrimental impact single-stream collection has on recycling, particularly glass containers, with an average of 40%-60% of glass collected in this manner ending up in landfills, or only being suitable for lower value, single use applications.

Florida Legislature Passes Comprehensive Recycling Bill

State Senator Lee Constantine’s bill to improve recycling in Florida has passed the legislature. The new legislation establishes gradually increasing recycling goals over the next decade, culminating with a 75% recycling goal by 2020. Solid waste disposed of in landfills, incinerators, or waste management facilities cannot be applied to this goal, unless it is utilized for production of renewable energy.

The bill also requires each state and local agency to report annually the quantity and type of recyclables beginning January 1, 2011. Private and other commercial businesses, while not required, are encouraged to do the same. And, the Department of the Environment is obligated under the new regulations to develop a comprehensive program to assist in achieving the recycling goal for most recyclables, including glass. More

GLASS RECYCLING

Colorado Glass Recycler Proves Quality Prevails

Six years ago, Jeff Dahl was a pioneer, collecting glass bottles for recycling from a handful of local Colorado Springs, CO bars and taking them in his Chevy S10 pickup and trailer to Rocky Mountain Bottle Co. (RMBC). Today, Dahl Recycling services over 80 bars and restaurants, as well as Ft. Carson, the Air Force Academy, and residential customers collecting over 110 tons a month of glass bottles for recycling. And they’re still going to RMBC to make new glass containers.

About a year and a half ago, Dahl nearly lost all of his customers to the single-stream recycling collection program that began in Colorado Springs. To keep his customers and ensure that RMBC received high-quality recycled glass, Dahl decided to get into the waste hauling business as well.

“I was going to lose my bar accounts to single-stream recycling, so now I’m in the trash business,” says Dahl. “By keeping glass out of single stream and recycling cardboard I reduce my customers’ cost for trash service, plus the recycled material is cleaner.” Dahl also collects paper, plastic, and aluminum for recycling from his 200 residential customers, about 80% of whom recycle. More

Glass On Display at Indiana Recycling Conference Events

The glass industry was front and center at the May 4-6 Indiana Recycling Coalition’s “Thinking Outside the Recycling Bin” Conference held in Indianapolis. More than 200 attendees were on hand for this 20th annual conference, the largest since the coalition was formed.

The Glass Packaging Institute sponsored the “Kick-Off” reception at Traders Point Creamery, which featured [Down Under] by Crane Lake wine donated by Saint-Gobain Containers. This wine is packaged in Saint-Gobain’s eco-friendly Revolution glass bottle, weighing in at nearly 50% less than most wine bottles. Its carbon footprint is also 25% less, and it’s made with at least 50% recycled glass. Both Traders Point Creamery and [Down Under] by Crane Lake were GPI’s 2009 Clear Choice Award Winners.

GPI also moderated a session on commercial recycling programs, which featured Brenda Rising-Moore from Union Jack Pub in Indianapolis, who has organized bar and restaurant recycling at Green Broad Ripple village in Indianapolis. The IRC board will visit Broad Ripple to see their glass and other container recycling efforts first hand on June 4th. The session also featured Paul Reusch, US. EPA Region 5, who spoke on special event recycling. And Steve Russell, representing Strategic Materials, Inc. participated in the “Commodities Markets” session. Presentations will be available on IRC’s web site.

1000 WORDS

For Harvard University Drummers, “All You Need is Love Glass”

THUD, The Harvard Undergraduate Drummers, play the Beatles’ classic, “All You Need is Love,” using an assortment of 100% recyclable—and highly musical—glass bottles. Check it out