Diageo expands glass recycling programme to Kentucky

Beverage company Diageo North America is broadening the scope of its ‘Don’t Trash Glass’ programme by introducing it to the state of Kentucky in the US. 

The initiative, which began in the Greater Chicago area of Illinois within the country, is a collaborative effort with the Glass Packaging Institute and GlassKing Recovery & Recycling.  

It encourages local bars, restaurants, and businesses to collect used glass bottles to boost regional recycling rates. 

Last year, the Don’t Trash Glass pilot programme was supported by Diageo’s Smirnoff brand, aiding in the collection of recyclable glass.  

The collected bottles are stored temporarily before being processed by regional glass suppliers, aiming to reduce landfill waste.  

As the programme expanded in Illinois in 2023, more cities such as Evanston, Rosemont, and Waukegan joined the initiative. 

In 2023, the scheme said it collected more than 2.2 million pounds of glass from over 50 businesses in Illinois.  

The initiatives are in line with Diageo North America’s strategy to improve glass recycling rates in states where the company has a production presence.  

Diageo North America Society vice-president Jayant Kairam said: “‘Don’t Trash Glass’ is an exciting partnership that has shown a promising first year of impact to improve regional glass collection and advance circularity across our customer value chain in the Chicagoland area.  

“We believe that working collectively with local businesses and the hospitality sector will generate lasting solutions that support communities and advance our sustainable-by-design goals.” 

In addition to Don’t Trash Glass, Diageo has undertaken other measures to transform its packaging footprint in North America.  

The company has reduced the weight of its primary Scotch bottles by transitioning to standard, lighter formats. 

This article was published in Packaging Gateway.