Dive Summary:
- Glass manufacturers are partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ohio to encourage residents to recycle glass; the agency estimates that close to 90% of glass in the state ends up at a landfill.
- A 2011 report released by the EPA uncovered a need to increase the volume of glass that is collected statewide, as glass companies were facing a shortfall of 185,000 tons of recycled glass annually.
- Ohio has implemented a pilot program which aims to establish an expanded presence of the recycled glass market, adding drop-off centers and using bars and taverns as used glass sources; Ohio has been trucking in glass from Michigan and Pennsylvania to keep up with the demand.
From the article:
About 40,000 tons of recycled glass are processed through a Rumpke facility in Dayton every year…the equivalent of 180 million 12-ounce bottles.
“We cannot fill the need right now,” said Rumpke recycling director Steve Sargent. “We have more orders than we can fill.”
Owens Corning, which has its headquarters in Toledo, said recycled glass has become an integral part of its business model, including energy-conservation certifications that require a certain amount of recycled material in its fiberglass. The major glass manufacturers in the state could use every single glass bottle that is thrown away, said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, chief sustainability officer for the company.
