The Glass Recycling Foundation (GRF) continues to make efforts to increase glass recycling in the U.S. by providing grants that assist with upgrading equipment, providing collection containers for glass drop-offs, developing resident education, and other glass recovery related projects.
The GRF released its 2023 Impact Report highlighting over $150,000 in grants that supported 11 projects diverting nearly 1,660 tons or over 3.3 million pounds of glass from landfills. This equates to more than 7.5 million glass bottles that were recycled as a result of the GRF’s local engagements. The grants were made possible by donations from Anheuser Busch Foundation, Diageo, Legacy Marketing (Corona), and Wine and Spirit Wholesalers.
“Donations from brands, manufacturers, and others that utilize recycled glass bottles and containers enable the GRF to provide support to those that are trying to improve glass recycling,” said Laura Hennemann, secretary for the GRF and senior vice president of sustainability and corporate affairs at Strategic Materials, Inc. “Ensuring glass is prioritized and kept in local recycling programs is key to continuing to grow the industry and provide a much-needed feedstock for responsible manufacturing. The GRF is excited to support those organizations that are passionate about keeping glass on the infinite recycling loop.”
2023 projects supported by a GRF grant include:
- Fairfax, Virginia: The City of Fairfax received a $6,000 grant from the GRF in early 2023 to help increase awareness and participation in its Purple Can Club, a glass-only drop off recycling program created in response to communities removing glass from single stream collection. The grant funds were used to purchase 3,000 reusable tote bags that were given to residents, along with educational material, to make collecting and transporting glass to the drop off stations easier.
- Justice Industries, Brentwood, Tennessee: Justice Industries, a 501c3 nonprofit, works towards its mission of creating jobs for people with barriers to employment. It runs Just.Glass, a program that provides commercial glass recycling solutions for bars, restaurants, and hotels in Nashville. In 2023, they received a $6,000 grant from the GRF to grow their Just.Glass program by purchasing more recycling carts and doing increased outreach to work with new customers.
- Bottle Underground, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Bottle Underground is a 501c3 nonprofit that collects glass bottles and jars from local businesses and community members and then sorts the glass for upcycling, reuse, or recycling. Bottle Underground’s work not only saves glass from landfills, but it also supports workforce development and community engagement. In 2023, Bottle Underground received an $18,000 grant from the GRF to build out its glass recycling infrastructure and improve glass processing efficiencies.
Additionally, GRF recently signed agreements with seven new entities that will be working on projects in 2024. These grant recipients are: Keep Waco Beautiful (Texas), City of Omaha (Nebraska), SDS Foundation (Kansas), City of Temple (Texas), Baldwin County (Alabama), Logan County (Ohio), and the Pennsylvania Resources Council.
The GRF is opening the application period for the next round of grants on May 29, 2024. Eligible grantees include non-profit entities, municipalities, state and county governments, and public waste management districts. Applications must be submitted by July 10, 2024.
Information on the GRF grant program and the grant application can be found at www.glassrecyclingfoundation.org/grants