Ohio Needs Improved Glass Recycling

What’s the biggest problem when your business has a high demand for recycled glass? Residents and businesses not recycling enough. This is exactly what is happening to Ohio’s three largest business consumers of recycled glass – their need for recycled glass is greatly exceeding the supply and the shortfall is somewhere close to one hundred and eighty five thousand tons a year.

One recycling production facility in Dayton, Ohio cannot fill all the orders for recycled glass that come in every month. Fiberglass insulation makers such as Owens Corning and Johns-Manville say they could utilize every bottle that is recycled or thrown away. And, Ohio-based bottle manufacturer Owens Brockway, is having to address its materials need by purchasing recycled glass from the neighboring states of Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Representatives from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says this is a perfect example of how recycling issues can become economic issues. When major manufacturers cannot have easy access to the materials they need they cannot expand their business and could possibly relocated to another region.

The state of Ohio, has made efforts to encourage and increase glass bottle and container recycling by adding more drop-off centers and containers and launching an innovative new strategy involving bars and taverns that serve a high volume of glass beverage containers. One such program in Marion, OH resulted in collecting two and one half million tons of recycled glass and it is hopeful that the program will be expanded to Cleveland and Columbus.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Manufacturers throughout the country are in need of waste materials that we often send to the landfill. Instead of paying big fees every month to dispose of your waste, start looking for businesses that may it. You might be able to go from spending money, to adding an additional revenue stream!