Ardagh Glass Packaging-North America has partnered with Don’t Trash Glass to increase glass recycling rates in Chicago, USA.

Don’t Trash Glass is a programme in collaboration with the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) and Glass King Recovery & Recycling.

It aims to encourage bars, restaurants and local businesses to collect used glass bottles separately from waste streams.

The glass is then turned into new bottles, which improves regional recycling rates.

Brian Brandstatter, President and CEO of Ardagh Glass Packaging-North America, said: “Ardagh is an advocate for recycling initiatives that ensure a source of high-quality recycled glass, such as the Don’t Trash Glass programme.

“The partnership symbolises our commitment to improving regional glass collection and recycling while advancing the circularity of glass bottles.”

Last year, the programme collected 2.2 million pounds of glass from bars, restaurants and local businesses in its first-year partnership with Diageo North America in Illinois. 

Glass bottles and containers were sorted and turned into cullet (furnace-ready recycled glass) for Ardagh’s production facility to use for the manufacture of new glass bottles.

Scott DeFife, President of GPI, said: “Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without any loss in quality or purity.

“Through Ardagh’s partnership, we are capitalising on an untapped source of glass bottles from bars and restaurants to manufacture new bottles within the same region.”

The Don’t Trash Glass pilot programme launched in 2021 in the Greater Chicago area. 

Once collected, bottles are temporarily stored to be processed and then used by regional glass packaging manufacturers like Ardagh, aiming to keep glass bottles out of landfills. 

Based on its success in Chicago, the programme has now been expanded to Kentucky as well as other areas.