Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) members are partnering to create a circular economy for high quality recycled glass in Northern Virginia.
O-I Glass, Inc. (O-I Glass) and Strategic Materials are teaming up to create strong markets for glass in the region through a new glass recycling drop-off program. So far the Northern Virginia program, nicknamed the ‘Purple Can Club’ and modeled after a Ripple Glass program in Kansas City, has collected more than 4 million pounds of recycled glass that is now being shipped from a processing plant in Lorton, VA to one of Strategic Materials’ recycling facilities. O-I Glass completes the loop by buying recycled glass from Strategic Materials and turning it into new glass bottles at O-I Glass manufacturing plants in Danville and Toano, Virginia, which are then re-sold throughout the state.
“This partnership between industry and city and county government is a step in the right direction for glass recycling and recovery efforts in the region,” said Scott DeFife, President of the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI). “Residents of Northern Virginia know that glass is a recyclable, sustainable alternative to other packaging materials, and have responded tremendously to the drop-off program. There is a strong market for good quality recycled glass that is contaminant-free, and this partnership will help meet that demand. ”
“There has long been a market for recycled glass in Virginia,” said Randolph Burns, O-I Glass Inc.’s Vice President of Global Government Affairs. “O-I Glass is thrilled to have the opportunity to incorporate Virginia’s recycled glass into the millions of glass containers we produce every day in our two Virginia glass plants.”
“Strategic Materials has so far seen a high volume of high quality recycled glass from the Northern Virginia drop-off bins,” said Laura Hennemann, Strategic Materials’ Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “We are excited to work with local communities and O-I Glass to create a circular economy for recycled glass in the region and hope to eventually increase the amount of glass received in the future.”
Northern Virginians continue to show excitement in the program. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Saturday, January 25th to celebrate the opening of a new bin located at MOM’s Organic Market in Alexandria.