Colorado Offers Rebate for Clean Glass Recycling

With passage of House Bill 1288, the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Act, the state of Colorado in 2007 created grants for recycling initiatives, and a unique rebate program, part of which is aimed at keeping recycled materials high quality and directing them to local markets.

For glass, this has meant a push to get cleaner recycled glass containers and more of them to Rocky Mountain Bottle Company, the primary glass processor in the state. “It was the right things to do,” says Tony Abel, Recycling Technician at RMBC. “It has helped entice folks to recycle glass or get them thinking about recycling glass.”

Part of the rebate offsets transportation costs, which has been especially helpful to communities furthest away from this market. While there has been no formal mechanism for measuring results, Abel believes that the rebate program has improved both the quantity and quality of the glass they receive.

“This rebate program is designed to reward companies that are recycling,” says Marjorie Griek, Executive Director of Colorado Association for Recycling and Chair of the committee which was set up under the new law to make recommendations on its implementation. Griek was also instrumental in getting the legislation passed. “Our real goal is supporting local markets. We want to keep recycled materials in the state rather than shipping them to outside markets,” says Griek.

Funds to support the recycling grants and the rebate program are generated from landfill tip fees and waste tires. Through the rebate, these funds come back to haulers that are also recycling. Three quarters of the funds generated go to the recycling grant program, and the other 25% to the rebate program.

Here’s how the rebate works. The Committee monitors local recycling markets and determines which recycled material will receive a rebate during a six-month cycle. The first six months it was plastic. During all of 2008 (two six month periods), glass was the recycled material eligible for rebates. According to Griek, “We determined that we have a good market in the state for glass and they needed glass, but it had to be high quality. By supporting glass-only streams through this rebate, the committee hoped to get more high quality material to Rocky Mountain Bottle.”

The amount of the rebate depends on the how far it has to be shipped, tons of source-separated glass collected during the six-month rebate cycle, and the number of applicants. “The first round of rebates for glass was really well received,” says Griek. “We have a couple of small haulers who specialize in glass so this is a real boon to them. Some purchased more equipment with the rebate or expanded their collection areas.”

The state sees this rebate program as a mechanism others might find useful. “We’re definitely getting a lot of interest and curiosity around this concept of getting glass out of the waste stream and a better product to the market,” say Griek. “I think there is a real opportunity for many states and communities to support recycling through a similar type law.” While getting the funding in place is tough, especially given the current economic climate, Griek believes that for a state that “already has a recycling grant program, this type of rebate could be incorporated.” More