The Glass Recycling Foundation (GRF) awarded $85,000 in grants supporting three pilot projects that recovered a combined two million glass beer bottles in 2021. The non-profit organization which focuses on raising and providing funds for targeted assistance to the U.S. glass recycling supply chain released a report of the foundation’s 2021 accomplishments.
“We were excited to have the opportunity to partner on bar and restaurant pilots in Chicago, Columbus and Phoenix and hope to scale these efforts,” said Scott DeFife, president of the GRF. “We know that U.S. consumers want to recycle glass, but some communities struggle – that is where the GRF works to provide matching grants to help fill in glass recycling gaps. We look forward to increasing glass recovery in 2022 and beyond.”
Glass recycling grants in 2021 supported partnership efforts in a community glass-only drop off program in Erie County, Pennsylvania and commercial glass collection programs in Chicago, Illinois and Phoenix, Arizona. The 2021 GRF Impact report can be found at the foundation’s website.
Most recently, America’s leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch, announced that it has joined the GRC to help improve glass recycling in the beverage industry.
The move aligns with the brewer’s longstanding commitment to sustainability and goal for 100 percent of their product to be packaged in material that is returnable or made from majority recycled content by 2025. By working with the coalition, Anheuser-Busch hopes to drive glass collection through infrastructure investments and increased public awareness to help reduce GHG emissions and increase the amount of recycled content used in its packaging.
Published in the May 2022 Edition