First three partners to participate receive free engagement compliments of O-I Glass
Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) is seeking partners in southeastern PA to host its Traveling Glass Recycling Bin, which provides a free recycling service to residents by rotating the bin through a variety of locations.
“Building on the success of PRC’s glass recycling program, which collected 1.5 million pounds of glass for recycling last year, we’re eager to collaborate with organizations to offer short-term engagements in the southeastern region of the state,” according to PRC Executive Director Darren Spielman. “Since 2020, we have established many strong partnerships in western PA to offer this convenient method of recycling glass, so we’re eager to grow the program in the east, and there is the potential to convert the traveling bin into a permanent placement should a community be interested in offering glass recycling on an ongoing basis.”
The Traveling Glass Bin is short-term “rental” of PRC’s glass collection container with maintenance and hauling services included. It’s a temporary glass recycling infrastructure that a community can invest in for a modest fee. This turnkey program can be booked for a single appearance or on a recurring schedule such as quarterly. PRC coordinates site identification, container delivery and transportation of collected material.
Thanks to generous support from O-I Glass, PRC will be able to provide three traveling glass engagements free of charge this summer.
At each Traveling Glass Recycling Bin engagement, individuals can drop off glass bottles, jars and jugs of all colors during daylight hours with no color sorting required.
“When you take the time to use glass-only drop-off sites, nearly 100 percent of the glass collected is recycled into new bottles and jars, while curbside programs typically capture around 40 percent of glass that’s able to be recycled,” explains Chris Bunn, PRC Environmental Program Coordinator. “A bottle, jar or jug dropped in the bin today could be recycled and back on a store shelf in less than 30 days.”
Partners interested in scheduling the PRC Traveling Glass Recycling Bin can contact Chris Bunn at chrisb@prc.org and 610-353-1555 x5.
“Glass can be recycled endlessly, and a glass bottle dropped into the Traveling Bin today can be recycled and back on a store shelf in as little as 30 days,” says Bunn. “We encourage citizens to bring this vital recycling program to the attention of their municipal managers.”
PRC’s glass recycling program is sponsored by Owens-Illinois, Inc. and CAP Glass and is made possible through partnerships with Michael Brothers Hauling & Recycling and Tri-State Waste & Recycling.
PRC GLASS RECYCLING IN SOUTHEASTERN PA
Since launching glass recycling in 2020 in Allegheny County, PRC has joined with partners across the state in establishing permanent collection sites in more than a dozen communities and has scheduled more than 100 traveling bin engagements to provide a free recycling service in a variety of locations throughout the state.
PRC’s Traveling Glass Bin expanded to serve southeastern PA in 2023, and the following year Haverford Township’s traveling bin evolved into a permanent location, marking the establishment of PRC’s first permanent glass recycling site in the eastern region. Since that time, the 50,000 residents of Haverford have recycled more than 24 tons of glass by dropping bottles, jars and jugs into the blue bin.
Haverford Township Manager Dave Burman explains, “Getting the bin has been very simple. Initially we met with PRC representatives to discuss the program, we found a suitable location for the bin, and we established a memorandum of understanding and brought that to our board of commissioners for approval. And then we placed the bin…it was that simple. Working with PRC has been a piece of cake. They make it easy for us.“
Since PRC provides the tonnage of glass recycled through each bin, townships such as Haverford are eligible to receive money back through PA DEP’s Recycling Performance Grants.