The idea behind Glass4GoodTM, a pilot glass recycling program rolling out at O-I Glass plants in the U.S., is that recycling glass is a win-win-win: a win for keeping glass packaging in the manufacturing stream, a win for helping communities recycle and reduce environmental impact, and a win for community support groups who are benefitting from financial donations tied to Glass4Good.
The pilot program at O-I’s plant in Danville, Virginia, is among the first to get off the ground. Glass collection bins are set up around the city. Families drop their glass bottles and jars into the bins, those glass containers are processed and come back to the O-I plant to be created into new glass containers. In the first six weeks of the pilot program at our Danville facility over 96,000 pounds of recycled glass was collected.
Did you know recycled glass is typically the main ingredient used to make new glass? Glass should never be trash. It’s 100% recyclable and infinitely recyclable, making it a valuable and sustainable packaging material. That’s why it’s important that recycled glass comes back to glass packaging makers versus going to a landfill. That’s a win for the planet!
Glass4Good is also structured to create wins in communities through donations from the O-I Charities Foundation. The O-I Charities Foundation makes a series of financial contributions based on the amount of recycled glass collected.
“We recognize the uniqueness of needs in each community where we operate so we are working closely with plants, local municipalities, and exploring non-profit organizations to identify where we can make the most impact,” explains Elizabeth Hupp, O-I’s Community Relations Specialist.
As the pilot programs roll out at our plants, each will be tailored to a community’s specific needs. In Danville, we’re partnering with the United Way of Danville Pittsylvania County. The UW chose to support Book Ends, a reading program for kids. Books Ends received its first donation in August.
Beyond Danville, Glass4Good is currently in place at our Toano, Virginia, facility. We’re working with our plants, municipalities, and community partners to expand to several more facilities by the end of the year.
O-I’s vision is to be the most innovative, sustainable, chosen supplier of brand-building packaging solutions. Our journey to sustainability includes supporting sustainable communities. Glass4Good is a program that enables us to meet so many of our ambitions, from increasing the amount of recycled glass in our plants to supporting communities where we live and operate.
