Bar/Restaurant Recycling
To expand sources for high-quality cullet, glass manufacturers are encouraging glass bottle recycling in commercial settings, including bars, restaurants, wineries, hotels, and other on-premise locations. About 18% of beverages are consumed on premise, and glass makes up to about 80% of that container mix. So these retail businesses can be a good source of clean, high-quality recycled glass.
For example, in 2008, NC passed a law requiring all Alcohol Beverage Permit holders to recycle their beverage containers. Since then, an additional 57,000 tons of new glass bottles have been recovered for recycling. Learn more about what’s happening with bar/restaurant recycling in North Carolina and other locations:
San Luis Obispo, CA — A destination spot for over 7 million visitors a year, most to local wineries, in 2008 the city nearly doubled the number of bars and restaurants recycling and added glass recycling at local wineries. More
Atlanta, GA — The Atlanta Hyatt Regency is just one of many restaurants and hotels that are working to be compliant with the Atlanta Zero Waste Zone challenge. Restaurants in Atlanta, including Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Fifth Group Restaurants are also stepping up to recycle glass containers as well as other green initiatives.
Colorado Springs, CO— Six years ago, Jeff Dahl collected glass bottles for recycling from a handful of local Colorado Springs, CO bars in his Chevy S10 pickup and trailer to Rocky Mountain Bottle Co. 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. More
Indianapolis, IN — Broad Ripple Village, a commercial district in a north Indianapolis neighborhood began recycling glass bottles at ten bars and restaurants in September 2008, the first phase of a larger recycling initiative. More
Las Vegas, NV— From January through April 2010, the MGM Resorts International hotel group recycled nearly 1,000 tons of glass containers at 10 of their Las Vegas hotel properties. They expect to recycle an estimated 3,000 tons of glass in all for 2010. Last year, nine of the hotel properties recycled nearly 1,200 tons of glass bottles and jars. More
North Carolina — Glass bottle recycling at bars and restaurants in the state is up. Get the latest data . And find out more about glass container recycling at North Carolina hotels like the Grove Park Inn & Spa.
Houston, TX — At WeCANRecycle about 80 tons/month of glass bottles are recycled at local bars, restaurants, and other businesses. In 2009, their glass recycling program kept over 88 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere. More
Resources for Bar/Restaurant Recycling
- Download a kit to help bars and restaurants kick-start glass recycling.
- Use a simple worksheet to estimate the amount of glass generated at a business.
- Download art for print and online ads, posters, and T-shirts. And, visit the Partnership for Bar and Restaurant Recycling for resources on getting the right bins, contracting with a recycler, and more.
- Order labels for glass recycling bins.
- Download a logo for menus, table tents, napkins, coasters, stickers to let customers know “We Recycle Glass Bottles”.
Absolut has teamed up with the famous Brooklyn-raised director, Spike Lee, to design a limited-edition vodka. The design is very personal for Lee as it features a brownstone bearing the address number, 165, from his childhood home in Cobble Hill on the front door. The flavor was even selected to honor New York City as notes of red apple are used along with ginger. As part of the campaign, Absolut will also donate $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity specifically for funding of homes in Bedford Stuyvesant. Absolut Brooklyn will be available this summer in a 750 mL glass bottle.
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Use our Carbon Calculator to find out how much energy you can save by recycling your glass containers.
About the 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. GPI member companies manufacture glass containers for food, beverage, cosmetic and many other products. GPI also has associate members that represent a broad range of suppliers and closure manufacturers.
