NERC’s Glass Committee Develops Two New Resources

Over the past two years, the 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. Two new resources recently have been released by the committee: The Glass Recovery Hierarchy and Glass Bottle & Fiberglass Manufacturers' Use of Cullet.

The Glass Recovery Hierarchy prioritizes today’s glass management options for post-consumer glass (cullet): refill, recycle, beneficial use and landfilling. The hierarchy was based on environmental benefits such as greenhouse gas reduction; energy, material and water savings; and recyclability and landfill diversion.

The Glass Bottle & Fiberglass Manufacturers’ Use of Cullet compiles responses about their 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 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: Northeast States' Departments of Transportation Use of Post-Consumer Recycled Glass Fact Sheet and Northeast MRF Glass Survey Report.

NERC’s Glass Committee comprises NERC’s Board of Directors and Advisory members, including: