Knauf Insulation seeks to increase US glass recycling

Knauf Insulation LLC, a building materials company that operates 27 manufacturing sites in 15 countries, has made a donation to the Glass Recycling Foundation (GRF), Ann Arbor, Michigan. According to the Glass Recycling Foundation, the contribution will advance its efforts to pilot projects leveraging best practices to improve glass recycling.

A representative from Knauf declined to say how much money the company donated.

“We are proud to partner with the Glass Recycling Foundation in advancing community efforts to increase glass recycling,” says John Eichbauer, vice president of operations at Knauf Insulation. “The environmental benefits of glass recycling are a focus for Knauf Insulation, and this effort will help divert waste from the landfill. We hope that glass will make its way to our facilities, increasing the recycled content in our fiberglass insulation.” 

The use of recycled glass has additional environmental benefits, lowering the amount of energy necessary for manufacturing and lessening the number of minerals that need to be mined, GRF says.

The donation comes on the heels of the foundation’s first grant award of $10,000 for drop-off glass recycling pilot in Erie County, Pennsylvania. The grant provided Erie County’s nearly 270,000 residents access to glass recycling at 15 locations that collect and recycle glass bottles and jars. To close the recycling loop for glass, Prism Recycling spearheaded a drop-off pilot program through a public-private partnership between the Erie County Recycling Program, the Erie Area Council of Governments, CAP Glass Recycling and the Glass Recycling Foundation. 

Knauf Insulation is a family-owned global manufacturer of thermal and acoustical fiberglass insulation for residential, commercial, industrial, OEM and metal building applications. The company uses more than 60 percent recycled glass content in its manufacturing of fiberglass insulation products.  

The GRF is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2019 that raises funds for localized and targeted assistance, demonstration and pilot projects that address gaps in the glass recycling supply chain across the United States.

“The need for funding to increase glass recycling capture to meet end-market demand is considerable,” says Scott DeFife, president of the GRF. “Knauf’s donation will help us spark action for regional glass recycling, pilot projects and educational outreach.”