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Current Trends in Glass Recycling. Sage Park Sustainability Specialist/Solid Waste Planner Department of Ecology, Central Regional Office 509-454-7863 sueb461@ecy.wa.gov. Glass Recycling Facts.
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Current Trends in Glass Recycling Sage Park Sustainability Specialist/Solid Waste Planner Department of Ecology, Central Regional Office 509-454-7863 sueb461@ecy.wa.gov
Glass Recycling Facts • Americans generated 12.5 million tons of glass in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in 2003. • About 22 percent of the 10.9 million tons of container glass was recovered for recycling. • Recovery increased from 750,000 tons in 1980 to more than 2.4 million tons in 2001. • Soft drink, beer, food, wine, and liquor containers represent the largest source of glass generated and recovered for recycling. - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/glass.htm, May 17, 2005
Glass Recycling is Declining • In 2000, the U.S. EPA estimated that the the beverage glass recycling rate was 25%. • There’s an increasing trend in landfilling glass, either by throwing it away or using it as daily cover. Jenny Gitlitz, Are bottle bills still relevant, Resource Recycling, September 2004
Why the decline? • Increased away-from-home consumption • Stagnant scrap prices • Decreased emphasis on recycling by government and the media • Increase in use of PETE as a beverage container - Jenny Gitlitz, Are bottle bills still relevant, Resource Recycling, September 2004
Glass Collection Issues • Curbside Collection • Drop Box • Weight of glass • Distance to markets • Market price of glass
Commodity Prices • Post Consumer Glass is $6.00/ton • Cardboard is $45.00/ton • Newspaper is $34.00/ton • Baled aluminum cans is $0.65/lb. Recycling Manager, http://grn.com/grn/prices/rm-prices.htm, October 26, 2005
Types of Glass Recycling • Closed Loop • Glass to Glass • Open Loop – Glass to aggregate
End Uses of Pulverized Glass • Roadbed material • Filter sand for septic systems/pools • Playground sand • Sidewalk/driveway additive • Backfill • Drainage medium • Landscape material • Paint additive • Hybridized cement • Aggregate in stucco finishes • Flux in ceramic tiles • Sand blasting material • Glass products such as fiberglass, marbles , and glass beads • Lawn ornaments, stepping stones, and retaining wall blocks - Glass Recycling In Montana, Montana Public Interest Research Group, May 2004 Picture provided by University of New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center
Benefits of Using Glass Locally • Replaces resources which require excavation • Reduces energy demand from extracting and transporting raw material for construction projects • Reduces air and water pollution associated with excavating raw materials • Conserves energy used in transporting glass to market • Reduces glass waste entering the landfill - Reusing and Recycling Glass in Manitoba, Manitoba Product Stewardship Council 2000
Costs of Using Glass Locally • Does not reduce resources and energy in manufacturing new glass containers • Energy required to crush the glass for local use • Energy, equipment and labor resources to blend aggregate with other aggregate for some application - Reusing and Recycling Glass in Manitoba, Manitoba Product Stewardship Council 2000
What’s a Community to Do? Communities are working together to divert glass from landfills using innovative solutions.
What communities you ask ? • Manitoba, Canada City of Winnipeg and Town of Pilot Mound and Village of Crystal City • Lewis and Clark County, Montana • Twisp, Washington (and later in the day Stevens County and Whitman County) • St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, Oregon
Local Glass Use in Manitoba Communities • City of Winnipeg • Glass used at the Brady Road landfill site as a road base • Use heavy equipment to crush glass onsite, then cover it with gravel • Town of Pilot Mound and Village of Crystal City • Glass is collected through community recycling programs and then crushed into coarse sand using a glass crusher • The crushed glass is used around town for landscaping • Golf course uses it on paths and around the base of trees • Keeps dust down on pathways better as compared to gravel - Reusing and Recycling Glass in Manitoba, Manitoba Product Stewardship Council 2000
Local Glass Use in Montana • Lewis and Clark County • Has had a glass recycling program for approximately 10 years • Glass collected by Headwaters Recycling Cooperative and through the City of Helena Transfer station • Glass collected by Headwaters is sold to Ash Grove Cement and Holcim Cement • Glass collected at the transfer station is used by Ash Grove Cement Company as 2.5% of the silica content for the cement produced. • Ash Grove uses 250 tons of glass per year • Last fiscal year, there was a stockpile of 400 tons because Holcim cut back on the amount of glass they’re accepting - Glass Recycling in Montana, Montana Public Interest Research Group, May 2004
Local Glass Use in Washington State • Methow Recycles – Twisp, WA • Purchased a glass crusher in 2002 and installed it in 2003 • Since installation they have invested an additional: • $840 in improvements • spent $3,966 on repairs • $5,281 on payroll related to the glass machine • Charge $10.00/ton of sand - revenues from the sand for the same period were $757.50. • Machine is currently down due to additional problems • Each apple bin full of glass costs $15.00 to process • Currently are not collecting glass Methow Recycles, http://www.methowrecycles.org/index.php
Aurora Glass • Operated by St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, Oregon • Recycle old windows and other waste glass previously without a recycling avenue • All profits from Aurora are returned to the community in the form of assistance for homeless and low-income people through emergency services, housing, jobs, training, and other charitable endeavors. http://www.auroraglass.org
Suggestions for Creating a Glass to Aggregate Program in Your Area • Have an end use!!!! • Be creative • Find Partners • Proper Equipment is Essential • Know the cost (both monetary and environmental) of the project before you get started • Have a plan to maintain the program