Glass Recycling Foundation awards nearly $70,000 in grants to support glass recycling industry

Glass recycling will continue to improve for residents in select cities and counties in North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. So far in 2022, the Glass Recycling Foundation has awarded almost $70,000 in grants to support equipment, education, and pilot project activities that improve glass recycling.

The Glass Recycling Foundation is a non-profit organization established to provide and raise funds for localized and targeted assistance that addresses gaps in the glass recycling supply chain across the United States.

The following programs have received/will receive support in 2022 from the GRF:

Repeat Glass in Cleveland Heights, Ohio: GRF will provide funding to support the purchase of roll-off containers to collect glass containers through a drop-off recycling program that serves both residential homes and commercial businesses with an anticipated 15 additional tons of glass recycled annually.

Stillwater, Oklahoma: Grant funding will be used to purchase curbside recycling bins to allow 400 households the ability to recycle source-separated glass containers, with an anticipated 16 additional tons of glass recycled annually.

Prism Glass Recycling in Erie County, Pennsylvania: GRF funding, with additional funding from O-I Glass, will be used to expand Erie County's 2021 residential recycling grant and will provide glass recycling services to 20 bars and restaurants. The effort anticipates an additional 250 to 350 tons of glass recycled annually.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality: In North Carolina, where glass collection has fallen by 30 percent in the past four years, the GRF partnered with the NC DEQ to provide grants to the following communities:

Pinehurst, North Carolina: Grant funding will support the installation of a new drop-off glass collection facility including a 20-yard roll-off container to collect glass with a target of recovering 215 tons per year.

Moore County, North Carolina: Grant funding will support the construction of a glass bunker, foam tire replacement for a wheel loader, roll-off containers, and signage. These improvements will enable the county to double its potential capacity, accept glass from other municipalities and commercial entities, reduce contamination in the glass recycling stream, and potentially increase glass recovered by 10 percent.

Pitt County, North Carolina: Grant funding will support the construction of a bunker at the transfer station to collect glass containers brought in on roll-off containers from convenience sites throughout the county allowing the county to haul up to 20 tons of glass per trip instead of up to four tons per trip when transporting materials to the end market.

"Many communities struggle with strong glass recycling due to lack of investment or budget," says Scott DeFife, president of the GRF. "Through donations from stakeholders in the glass recycling value chain, we can make an impact that increases glass recycling access and cullet available for recycled glass applications."

To be considered for a GRF grant, eligible entities – non-profits, municipalities, county/state governments, glass collectors, material recovery facilities, beneficiators, and manufacturers – must submit an application that includes a complete project budget, proposal, workplan, and other specified information. Projects allowed under the grant program can either be demonstration/pilot projects that address specific gaps in the glass recycling supply chain or education projects that educate the public about the benefits of recycling glass.

The GRF awards grants on a biannual schedule. The application period is currently open, with a deadline to apply online by October 7, 2022.

Funding for 2022 GRF grants is provided by donations from Anheuser-Busch Foundation, Ardagh Glass, Corona Extra/Constellation Brands, Crescent Crown Distributing, Diageo, Glass Packaging Institute, Knauf Insulation, O-I Charities Foundation, Strategic Materials Inc., and Urban Mining Industries.