Glass recycling at the Walmart Community Recycling Center. by Kevin Anderson
From salsa to beer, glass jars and bottles contain some of our favorite things. But recycling those glass containers hasn’t always come easy for Lawrence.
The glass packaging industry marks September as Recycle Glass Month in an effort to raise awareness of its goal to use 50 percent of recycled content for the manufacturing of all new jars and bottles by 2013.
Lawrence and the rest of the country fall far short of that goal.
Traditionally, recycling glass posed more challenges than other materials because it injured those working with it, clogged machines, required a lot of energy to recycle and was heavy to transport. Until recently glass recycling in Lawrence had been limited to the Walmart Community Recycling Center and a few small curbside recycling operations.
Local glass recycling efforts received a boost in 2009 when Boulevard Brewing Co. launched Ripple Glass, a glass-processing plant that worked with Kansas City metro communities to increase recycling efforts.Inspired by Ripple Glass, the city of Lawrence issued a request for proposals seeking a glass-recycling facility to set up drop-off locations throughout the city for glass just as there are for paper, plastic and aluminum.
Recycling glass is a worthy endeavor, said Lawrence Mayor Aron Cromwell, who has doggedly urged the city to provide more options for glass recycling. Because glass is so heavy and the city pays for landfill space by the ton, Cromwell said finding ways to keep glass out of the landfill saves everyone money.
Here are some numbers to keep in mind when talking about glass recycling:
2
Number of facilities where glass can be recycled in Lawrence. Glass is accepted at the Walmart Community Recycling Center, 3300 Iowa, and the 12th and Haskell Recycling Center, 1146 Haskell Ave.
4
Number of drop-off glass recycling sites the city of Lawrence would like to see throughout the city, which is detailed in its proposal.
$40,000
The amount of money the city of Lawrence has earmarked in its 2012 budget to start a glass recycling program. Cromwell anticipates the cost to be much less than that and said after the first year the city shouldn’t have to pay much of anything.
4,000 tons
The amount of glass Lawrence residents and nearby communities are estimated to use each year, according to Ripple Glass.
15 tons
The amount of glass recycled each month at the 12th and Haskell Recycling Center.
750 tons
The amount of glass recycled by the Walmart Community Recycling Center in 2010.
More than 400 tons
The amount of glass recycled so far this year at the Walmart Community Recycling Center, which takes its recycled glass to Ripple Glass.
1,300 pounds
The amount of sand conserved for every ton of glass recycled.
410 pounds
The amount of soda ash conserved for every ton of glass recycled.
380 pounds
The amount of limestone conserved for every ton of glass recycled.
160 pounds
The amount of feldspar conserved for every ton of glass recycled.
20 percent
Percentage of Lawrence residents who recycle, based on numbers from Ripple Glass.
28 percent
National percentage of people who recycle.
100 percent
The percentage of glass that can be reused when recycled.
1 glass bottle
The amount of material that has to be recycled to save enough electricity to light a 100 watt light bulb for four hours.
A six-pack of bottles
The amount of material that has to be recycled to produce enough fiberglass insulation to fill a standard wall cavity.
75 percent
The percentage of glass Ripple Glass recycles into fiberglass insulation
25 percent
The percentage of glass Ripple Glass recycles into Boulevard Brewing beer bottles.
Tagged: glass recycling, city of Lawrence, Ripple Glass, Walmart Community Recycling Center, 12th and Haskell Recycling Center
Comments
Tandava (anonymous) says…
Here's another number for you: one million.
What's that? The lowest estimate of the number of years it takes a beer bottle to deteriorate if left in the ground. No one really knows. Some estimates are two or three million years.
ChristineMetz (Christine Metz) replies…
Hi Tandava,
Thanks for the extra number. I was looking for how long it takes a bottle to deteriorate and didn't find it. So, I'm glad you added it.
laughingtokeepfromcrying (anonymous) says…
I take most of my recycles to Walmart. I take small loads (of newspapers and cardboard and Cans for the Community) to Checkers parking lot; and I'm getting the hang of recycling small appliances (electircal wiring) and metals at 12th ahd Haskell for cash (not a lot of cash, but every nickle helps) which got me wondering if the Walton family profits from my recycling. (?) When I take my newspapers and cardboard and 2 liter pop bottles to Walmart Recycling, does the Walton family get a little richer?
Is that place in North Lawrence my only other local option for recycling? Do they take plastic bottles and whatnot? I'm not eager to give more money to Sam Waltons' heirs.