Glass Container Recycling Lynn Bragg President Glass Packaging Ins7tute Glass is ENDLESSLY Recyclable
Glass Container Recycling
Lynn Bragg President
Glass Packaging Ins7tute
Glass is ENDLESSLY Recyclable
The Glass Packaging Ins-tute (GPI) represents the North American glass container industry:
§ 8 member glass container producers § 37 associate member supplier companies
Through GPI, glass container manufacturers advocate job preserva7on and industry standards, provide consumer educa7on, and promote sound energy, environmental, and recycling policies.
www.gpi.org
Glass Packaging Ins7tute
The Glass Container Industry § 48 glass container plants in 22 states comprise a $5.5 billion dollar
industry
§ 102 glass container furnaces produce approximately 30 billion glass food, beverage, cosme-c, spirits, wine, and beer containers annually
§ The industry employs approximately 18,000 employees na-onwide
2011 U.S. Glass Container Shipments by Category
Source: Glass Packaging Ins3tute (GPI)
Glass Manufacturing Process"
Limestone" Soda Ash" Sand"
Heat to 2800° F (1538 ° C)"
Recycled Glass"
Glass: Natural and Simple Recycling & Manufacturing Process
Glass Recycling Process"
Cullet"(Recycled Glass)""
Sorting"
Curbside"
Recycled Glass Processor"
Crush &"Clean""
2010 U.S. Glass Container Recycling Rates
§ 41.4% of beer and soG drink boUles
§ 24.7% of wine and liquor boUles
§ 18.1% food and other boUles/jars
§ And 33.4% all glass containers
Source: U.S. EPA
Figure 3. Recycling Rates of Selected Products, 2010* * Does not include combustion (with energy recovery). ** Mechanical papers include directories, newspaper inserts, and some advertisement and direct mail printing.
Source: Daniel Imhof Paper or Plas*c, hOp://www.environmentaldefense.org/home.cfm
U.S. Packaging Industry
§ Glass is 100% recyclable; it has an unlimited life and can be recycled endlessly
§ Over a ton of natural resources saved for every ton of glass recycled
§ Energy costs drop about 2-‐3% for every 10% recycled glass used in the manufacturing process
§ Six tons of recycled container glass used equals one ton of carbon dioxide reduced
Why Recycle Glass?
§ Lessens greenhouse gas emissions: for every 6 tons of recycled glass used, one ton of carbon dioxide reduced
§ Minimizes consump-on of raw materials, lowering costs and extending furnace life
§ Reduces landfill dependence and helping communi7es avoid disposal costs
Why Recycle Glass?
§ First Objective: – Preserve U.S. jobs in an “Energy Intensive,
Trade Exposed” environment: § Improve competitiveness § Reduce high energy costs § Support improved materials management models
Industry Recycling Goal: 50% Recycled Content by 2013
§ Second Objective: – Drive industry sustainability initiatives
§ Conserve energy § Save raw materials § Reduce air emissions … including NOx, SOx, PM,
and greenhouse gases (e.g. CO2) § “Reduce/Reuse” in all aspect of plant operations …
water, cardboard, lubricants, electricity, etc.
Industry Recycling Goal: 50% Recycled Content by 2013
§ Partnerships with stakeholders to improve glass recycling/recovery rates
§ Improved data collec7on/analysis § Effec7ve legisla7ve ini7a7ves at federal
and state levels § A single-‐stream recycling best prac7ces
“SWOT” analysis, including processing technologies
§ Expanded bar, restaurant, and hotel collec7on programs
To achieve goal must improve the quan7ty and quality of recovered recycled glass:
Achieving the Goal
GPI 2011 Survey
Bar, Restaurant, Hotel Programs § On-‐Premise Glass Container Recycling
Programs: – In-‐depth survey of 10 bar, restaurant, hotel programs
– 8 states (CA, CO, IN, MO, NC, NV, OH, TX)
§ Background: – On average, programs in opera7on about 3 years
– Most ini7ated to handle large volume of glass containers generated
– Environmental/economic impact vs. landfilling with trash
GPI 2011 Survey
Bar, Restaurant, Hotel Programs § Findings:
– 6 of the 10 programs collect glass through a single-‐stream system
– Average number of bars, restaurants, hotels par7cipa7ng in a program is 100 (smallest 10 and largest 330)
– Average amount of glass collected is about 105 tons/month (158.5 tons)
GPI 2011 Survey
Bar, Restaurant, Hotel Programs
§ Economics: – On average, programs are cost neutral for par7cipa7ng businesses
– Costs, on average, for once/week collec7on is about $40 -‐ $50 per businesses
– About 50 – 75 par7cipa7ng businesses minimum needed for once/week glass collec7on route
Kansas City, MO Glass Recycling Bar/Restaurant and Drop-‐Off Program
§ Partners: – Ripple Glass – Retailers and businesses offering drop-‐off space (Whole
Foods, Price Chopper, Hen House, sprint Nextel, Hallmark Cards, Harley Davidson Plant, community centers, etc.)
§ Program Details: – Over 80 drop-‐off loca-ons metro-‐wide (no glass
collec7on curbside) – Over 70 local bars and restaurants – Drop-‐off loca7ons have expanded to a dozen ci-es in 5
states
§ Results: – In 2011, Ripple Glass. recycled enough glass to produce
nearly 100 million Boulevard beer boOles – Markets: Owens-‐Corning; Saint-‐Gobain Containers Inc.
Hotel Recycling Las Vegas, NV
MGM Resorts Interna-onal Glass Recycling
“Riding the Green Wave”
Collec-on: – Broke the 10 million pounds of glass
recycled mark in 2011 at 10 hotel proper7es
– Surpassed goal to recycle over 3,600 tons of glass in 2010
– 10 hotel proper7es responsibly for 21% of glass recycled in Clark County, NV
On-‐Premise Recycling in North Carolina
§ 2008 Alcohol Beverage Control Legisla-on -‐ Requires ABC permit holders to recycle
glass and plas7c boUles and cans § Results to Date
– Total glass containers collected (tons): • 2007 – 51, 883 • 2008 – 56,837 • 2009 -‐ 69, 446 • 2010 -‐ 75,124 • 2011 -‐ 86,163
– About 6,500 in compliance out of 8,500 – About 10 new businesses started up to
collect ABC materials
18% of beverages consumed on premise, and glass makes about 80% of the container mix
Federal Ac7vity: Glass Recycling-‐Related Issues
§ “Request for Comments” on U.S. EPA Municipal Solid Waste Report: - Covers na7onal recycling rates, including those for glass – Currently Under Agency Review - GPI and member companies asked EPA to:
§ Examine “end markets” prior to issuing recycling rates for glass, including dis7nc7on between container and diversion markets
§ Examine “recovery” rates for the different collec7on programs (single stream, drop off, deposits, etc.)
Federal Ac7vity: Legisla7on to Improve Recycling Data § GPI led stakeholder legisla7ve effort to:
§ Improve exis7ng recycling data § Focus on what is returned to glass plants and other manufacturers
§ Members of Congress and industry agree improved recycling data would: § Assist the manufacturing sector § Help to support jobs and the manufacturing industries who purchase recyclables
Federal Ac7vity: Legisla7on to Improve Recycling Data § Legisla7on would voluntarily permit EPA:
§ To ask for data on the effec7veness of specific recycling programs
§ Focus on recyclables collected being either sent to landfill or back to manufacturers
§ U.S. House Energy and Commerce SubcommiUee § Held a June 2012 hearing on a discussion drao § GPI tes7fied in support of improving recycling data
§ Discussion Drao currently not law, and is s7ll awai7ng introduc7on
Ohio Partnership for Glass Recycling § Partners:
– Glass manufacturer Owens-‐Illinois, Inc – Rumpke, Inc. – Ohio Department of Natural Resources
§ Goals: – Increase glass container recycling and “close
the loop” on up to 40,000 tons of glass annually
– Rumpke, which operates 7 Ohio recycling facili7es, invests $2.5M to develop treatment center for closed-‐loop glass recycling
– Increase municipal glass recycling programs
Colorado Glass Recycling Drop-‐Off Program
“Be World Class, Sort Your Glass”
§ Partners: – City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, City of Loveland – Rocky Mountain BoUling Company
§ Background Research: – Glass capture rates for single-‐stream recycling may only
reach 30%; almost 100% for drop-‐off
§ Results: – Started with 3 and expanded to 5 glass container drop-‐
off loca-ons in first three months – Glass also collected at curb – Nearly 775 tons in 2010; up from 553 tons in 2009—a
40% increase
Houston, TX Retail & Mul7-‐Family Program
§ Partners – WeCANRecycle – Over 50 local bars/restaurants and other businesses – High-‐rise condos
§ Results – About 40-‐50 tons/month – 402 tons of glass recycled in 2011; 610 tons in 2010;
350 tons in 2009 – Over 88 tons of CO2 kept out of the atmosphere
from glass recycling program in 2009
SeaUle, Washington Verallia/eCullet Partnership
Achieving 50% Recycled Content
§ Partners Since 2008: – Verallia, Inc. (glass container manufacturers) – eCullet glass processors
§ Sources for Recycled Container Glass: – City of SeaUle curbside collec7on program – Vancouver, BC boUle deposit program
§ Results: – Verallia using nearly 50% recycled glass—up
from 17%-‐-‐in the manufacture of new glass wine boOles
– In 2010, eCullet produced more than 65,000 tons of furnace-‐ready cullet
– Using over 80,000 tons of recycled glass from WA state communi7es; in 2011, expect to increase to over 110,000 tons
Cullet Processor Loca7ons and Sor7ng Technology
§ Growth in cullet processor loca7ons: - 5 new facili7es in 2012 - Cullet processors now in MD, NV, and UT
§ Expansion in sor7ng technologies: - Cullet processors with op7cal sor7ng technologies becoming the new standard - In 2012, cullet processor SMI had three-‐mix color sor7ng technology in nearly half of its 40+ facili7es
§ Partnerships with stakeholders to improve glass recycling/recovery rates
§ Improved data collec7on/analysis § Effec7ve legisla7ve ini7a7ves at federal
and state levels § A single-‐stream recycling best prac7ces
“SWOT” analysis, including processing technologies
§ Expanded bar, restaurant, and hotel collec7on programs
Must improve the quan7ty and quality of recovered recycled glass:
Achieving the 50% Goal
www.gpi.org