Goodwill of Colorado Announces New Recycling Partnership With O-I Glass

DENVER & COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --In honor of “America Recycles Day” on November 15, Goodwill of Colorado and O-I Glass announce they have joined forces to help boost consumer glass recycling through a new program with dedicated, specially branded collection bins at each of Goodwill of Colorado’s Outlet locations.

Glass is one of the cleanest and most efficiently recycled materials—100 percent recyclable, never degrades in quality no matter how many times it is recycled and does not generate harmful by-products during the recycling process. In addition, being impermeable and made of natural materials (sand, limestone and soda ash) glass is the only widely-used packaging material considered "Generally Recognized as Safe" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Statewide, Colorado’s consumer recycling rate is 16 percent overall, half the national average of 32 percent, according to Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment. Last year in Colorado Springs alone, Goodwill of Colorado diverted 80 tons of glass for recycling and hopes to increase volume this year through the partnership with O-I.

Goodwill of Colorado will collect recyclable glass in branded recycling bins like the one pictured at four Goodwill Outlet locations in Colorado Springs, Westminster and Denver. Program partner O-I will haul the glass to its Broomfield-based Glass to Glass recycling plant and manufacture new glass bottles from the recycled material. The branded bins will be featured at the following locations:

Related:Rumpke’s 20-Year Glass Recycling Story

Goodwill of Colorado President and CEO Karla Grazier noted, “As a Colorado sustainability leader for the last century who recycled or repurposed more than 208 million pounds of donated items last year, we’re honored to partner with O-I to help elevate Colorado’s glass recycling rate. The impact of recycling doesn’t end with a donation to Goodwill. Because partnerships like this help us extend the reach of our mission by optimizing the value of donated items, together we can create positive change in the lives of our fellow Coloradans who receive job training, education and support through Goodwill of Colorado’s community impact programs.”

"We are grateful for Goodwill of Colorado's commitment to making glass recycling accessible to community residents," said Danielle Brickner, Sustainability Collaboration Specialist at O-I. "The glass collected through this collaboration will be processed at O-I's Glass to Glass facility in Broomfield and will be made into new glass packaging at the company's Windsor facility, sometimes in as little as 30 days. We are excited to partner with Goodwill of Colorado as we continue to drive waste reduction, material conservation, energy reduction and job creation in the Denver area.”

Related:New Kentucky Glass Recycling Program Makes Bourbon Bottle Production More Sustainable

Glass items accepted through the glass recycling program include bottles, jars without the lid, glass table tops out of the frame, glass vases, and glass food containers. Windows, mirrors, light bulbs, Pyrex® (heat-treated glass), solar panels, TVs/monitors and drinking glasses are not accepted as part of this program.

Separate from the glass recycling program, consumers are invited to donate gently used household and textiles to any Goodwill location; hours and locations are shown here. For a comprehensive list of items Goodwill of Colorado accepts, please click here.