Ohio EPA awards state glass recycling grant

HAMILTON COUNTY, OH (FOX19) - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a grant to help glass recycling in the Tri-State.

In partnership with the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District, the Ohio EPA provided $250,000 on Monday to help purchase equipment to screen, clean and sort glass.

Included in the grant was Rumpke's new Cincinnati Recycling Center, which will feature a glass recovery system.

"Today's grant will help save landfill space and provide Ohio manufacturers with a necessary raw ingredient," Ohio EPA Director Scott Nally said at an Earth Day Event at Rumpke Recycling Cincinnati in St. Bernard.

Officials say adding cullet, or small pieces of post-consumer glass, lowers the melting point of other ingredients to create a finished glass product. By lowering the melting point, it results in less fuel and lower costs.

Glass makers in Ohio say 90% of the state's post-consumer glass ends up in landfills. They estimate an additional 165,000 to 185,000 tons of cullet could be used each year to combat that percentage.

In addition, the grant will also help create jobs. Officials say more than 100 employees will be involved with the glass recycling effort at Rumpke's St. Bernard facility, as well as Rumpke's Dayton facility.