Joint Venture Seeks to Upgrade Glass Sorting

Glass container manufacturer Owens-Illinois Inc. (O-I), Perrysburg, Ohio, has announced plans to partner with e-Cullet, a glass processing company based in Palo Alto, Calif., to form a joint venture called Glass to Glass LLC.

According to a news release from the two companies, the joint venture will invest in glass sorting equipment that can make more high-quality recycled glass available for use in O-I plants. Owens-Illinois operates 79 plants.

“We are encouraged by the formation of this joint venture, as we believe we can improve the supply of recycled glass to our North American plants,” says Jay Scripter, vice president of regional integrated operations for O-I’s North American operations.

Scripter adds that using recycled glass to make new glass products will reduce the company’s use of virgin raw materials, and the new sorting techniques will increase the amount of usable glass available to O-I.

“We are pleased to work with the world's largest glass container manufacturer to provide high quality, recycled glass to its plants,” says Craig London, eCullet’s CEO. “Glass recycling in the United States is increasing, but much of that supply requires sophisticated sorting technologies to create the quality of recycled glass required by glass manufacturers. That is our specialty and we look forward to helping Owens-Illinois use more recycled glass in its manufacturing process.”