Chicago, IL
The Don’t Trash Glass Program (DTG) brought together the Glass Recycling Foundation, Constellation Brands, GlassKing, Lakeshore Recycling, and Strategic Materials. DTG’s goal is to collect glass containers at Greater Chicago area bars and restaurants to be recycled into new bottles, fiberglass, and more.
The initial eight-week pilot is funded in part by the Glass Recycling Foundation in partnership with Legacy Marketing and Constellation Brands. On Memorial Day weekend, Corona’s Protect Our Beaches kicked off the public outreach phase of the pilot at several Chicago venues. The Corona Crusher machine demonstrated how glass could be recycled into material for beach restoration – just one application of glass repurposing in certain areas.
The Glass Recycling Foundation asked GlassKing, a glass recycling collection hauler out of Phoenix, Arizona, to bring their version of Don’t Trash Glass program to Chicago. GlassKing’s strength in understanding the intricacies of logistics is critical for an area without a robust commercial glass recycling system.
Two of the key challenges were solved with the addition of partners Lakeshore Recycling and Strategic Materials joining the initiative. GlassKing will bring the collected glass to the Lakeshore Recycling facility, which is one of the Midwest’s premier single-stream recycling facilities. Strategic Materials is the largest glass processor in the United States, including a location in Chicago. Their process separates and cleans glass to be sold to bottle and fiberglass insulation manufacturers, creating full recycling circularity.
