Glass containers are 100% recyclable. Another reason glass proves a truly sustainable package. Recycling “closes the loop,” turning the glass containers you recycle into new bottles and jars.
And recycling glass has big environmental pay offs. It saves raw materials, lessens demand for energy, and cuts CO2 emissions. More environmental facts.
Recycle Your Glass Bottles
Help turn your glass containers into new bottles and jars. Recycle glass at the curb or a nearby recycling drop-off center. More on how you can recycle »
GPI Members Set Goal to Use 50% or Higher Recycled Content for Glass Containers by 2013
Member companies of the Glass Packaging Institute announced this new goal in December 2008. It reflects the strong environmental impact and economic value of using recycled glass, or cullet, in the manufacture of new glass bottles and jars. This practice conserves energy, reduces emissions and consumption or raw materials, and extends the life of plant equipment. GPI estimates energy savings from using 50% recycled content in all glass packages manufactured in the U.S. could save enough energy to power over 45,000 households for a year. Read More »
Saint-Gobain Containers and eCullet Partner in Seattle to Boost Glass Recycling and Recycled Content
In South Seattle, Washington, a joint initiative between Saint-Gobain Containers, the nations’ largest manufacturer of wine bottles, and eCullet, developer of state-of-the-art camera sorting technology for processing recycled glass, will help produce new glass containers made with double the amount of recycled glass —increasing the recycled content from 17% to 35%— with the potential to increase more in the future. Read More »
North Carolina’s On-Premise Container Recycling Law Proves a Success
According to new data, the North Carolina ABC law, which went into effect January 1, 2008, requiring all on Alcohol Beverage Control permit holders to recycle beverage containers, is proving successful, with an additional nearly 57,000 tons of new glass recycled. Learn More »
Metro-Wide Glass Recycling System Launches in Kansas City, MO
Kansas City, MO residents can now drop off their glass bottles and jars at one of 60 locations in the metro area, including Whole Foods, Price Chopper and Hen House grocery stores, Sprint Nextel, Hallmark Cards, the Harley Davidson Plant, and community centers.
Glass bottles and jars recycled through this extended drop-off system will then be taken to Ripple Glass, which opens December 1st, for sorting and processing. The finished cullet will be used at a local Owens Corning plant for fiberglass insulation. Read More »
Did You Know?
Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a 60-watt bulb for four hours, or a computer for 30 minutes.
Resource Recycling Spotlights Industry Push for High-Quality Cullet
Using industry facts and data, “Culling Cullet” in the May issue of Resource Recycling describes the need for a lot more high-quality cullet, options for getting more cullet to make new glass containers, and what the industry is doing meet its goal of 50% recycled content by 2013. Read More »
CRI Study Shows Cost and Quality Impacts of Single-Stream Collection
A 2009 study commissioned by the Container Recycling Institute highlights the negative downstream impacts of contaminated feedstock, a result of mixing recyclable materials through single-stream collection. This is especially true for glass containers. According to the report, on average, 40% of glass from single-stream recycling collection winds up in landfills, with only 40% recycled back into new glass containers and fiberglass. Read more and get the report
