Ohio Solid Waste Management District restarts glass recycling program

Three years after removing glass from its acceptable recyclables list, Ohio’s Hancock County Solid Waste Management District (SWMD) has resumed its glass recycling program as of June.

“When glass was dropped three years ago, residents were not happy with the decision,” says Courtney Comstock, director of recycling operations for Hancock County SWMD. “Getting glass back as an acceptable material was important and we are glad it’s back.”

With the support of the Hancock County Commissioners, SWMD purchased roll-off containers and a truck to rebuild the glass recycling program at its material recovery facility (MRF) and at satellite drop-off locations.

“The Hancock County recycling program was one of the first community programs in Ohio, and residents always took pride in diverting glass from the landfills for recycling,” Comstock states.

Glass bottles and jars are transported to the Rumpke Recycling glass plant in Dayton, Ohio, where it is cleaned and sized to use as a feedstock for fiberglass manufacturing. 

“Glass recycled through the Hancock County recycling program supports a significant recycling infrastructure in Ohio,” says Molly Yeager, corporate communications manager for Rumpke Recycling, headquartered in the Cincinnati area. “Rumpke Dayton glass plant prepares glass for use at the Johns Manville fiberglass plant in Defiance, Ohio, about an hour from Hancock County.”

“Glass bottles and jars are 100 percent recyclable and can be recycled infinitely with no degradation on material quality,” says Richard Hoch with Diageo, a company in the Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC). 

A recent study conducted by the GRC found that 93 percent of consumers and residents expect to be able to recycle their glass containers.

“Recycling glass containers helps U.S. glass container and fiberglass manufacturing plants remain competitive and protect U.S. jobs,” Hoch says.