NERC’s Glass Committee develops new resources

Over the past two years, the Vermont-based Northeast Recycling Council’s (NERC) Glass Committee has collaborated on several projects designed to improve understanding of the recycled glass value chain as well as gaps in the value chain in the Northeast region. 

As a result, two new resources have recently been released by the committee: The Glass Recovery Hierarchy and Glass Bottle & Fiberglass Manufacturers' Use of Cullet, according to a NERC news release.

The Glass Recovery Hierarchy prioritizes today’s glass management options for postconsumer glass: refill, recycle, beneficial use and landfilling. A chart highlights the environmental benefits of using cullet in a variety of different applications. The hierarchy was based on environmental benefits, including greenhouse gas reduction, energy, material and water savings and recyclability and landfill diversion. Links to different glass lifecycle assessments are also provided.

The Glass Bottle & Fiberglass Manufacturers’ Use of Cullet compiles responses about the use of cullet from glass bottle and fiberglass manufacturers serving the Northeast region. The topics presented in the survey analysis include the distance in which the manufacturers receive cullet from processors; how much more cullet their company can use; the percentage of cullet currently being used (18 percent to 80 percent); the impact of market fluctuations; and the willingness of manufacturers to partner with other entities to obtain cullet.

Additional glass resources developed by NERC’s Glass Committee include the Northeast States' Departments of Transportation Use of Postconsumer Recycled Glass Fact Sheet and Northeast MRF Glass Survey Report.

NERC’s Glass Committee is comprised of some of NERC’s board of directors and advisory members, including Ray Dube, The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Northern New England; Brooke Nash, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; Terry Laibach, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Curt Bucey, Strategic Materials Inc., Houston; and Chuck Riegle, Tomra, Norway.