Pop-Up Glass Recycling Events
In early 2019, PRC received sponsorship funds from Owens Illinois Inc. and CAP Glass to initiate residential glass recycling programs in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Since March 2019, PRC began pursuing the creation of regional glass collection infrastructure by creating a “pop-up” collection event model in select pilot communities. This model allowed PRC to bring residential glass recycling services to 22 Southwestern Pennsylvania communities, ensuring that residents continue to separate their container glass from landfill trash and preserve it as a valued commodity.
The Pop-Up Glass Recycling Events proved that there is a strong demand among PA residents for glass recycling collection services, and assisted local governments in their goals of offering quality recycling infrastructure through intergovernmental cooperation. The success of pop-up glass collection events has moved several communities to request permanent container placement in their area, and PRC staff continues to lead this conversation with the objective of facilitating a region-wide program for permanent container glass collection. For more information about PRC’s ongoing efforts to expand western PA’s glass recycling access in 2020, visit our Glass Recycling Program webpage and Glass Partnership Portal.
2019 POP-UP EVENT SUMMARY
March 9, 2019, PRC held our first Pop-up Glass Recycling Event at Village Square Mall, in Bethel Park, PA with over 600 residents in attendance and nearly 10 tons of glass collected in only 5 hours.
End of year summary:
- 27 total Pop-Up Glass Events
- 22 community partners engaged as hosts
- 10,000 households in attendance
- 200 tons of container glass collected for recycling
CURRENT GLASS RECYCLING INITIATIVES
PRC ended the 2019 event season with a December 7 Pop-Up Glass Event that brought in 30 tons of container glass from approximately 1,300 to 1,400 households in just five hours, proving that residents of the Greater Pittsburgh Area have a rapidly growing interest and reliance on source-separated drop-off infrastructure for glass recycling collection. All collected glass was processed at the CAP Glass benefecation facility in Mt. Pleasant, PA for sale to regional glass mills and manufacturers.
In 2020, PRC’s efforts at glass recycling collection have only increased and expanded. We continue to partner with over 30 communities in western PA in pursuing a network of permanent glass drop-off sites as well as deploying our Traveling Glass Bin, a week-long setup of glass drop-off services that allows residents a contact-free, self-serve glass collection option. For questions about the PRC Glass Program’s ongoing initiatives, email [email protected] today.
