It’s almost Recycle Glass Month (September 2011)!

Glass, like aluminum, can be recycled into infinity without degradation to the material. But, unlike aluminum, more care needs to be taken in the recycling process to ensure the glass is not being contaminated with non-container glass.

To make sure you’re not contaminating the recycling stream, keep out non-container glass, like light bulbs and mirrors. And, remove metal caps and neck rings. The glass you recycle can be used to make new glass bottles only if the stream is kept clear of these items. Remember that ceramics, porcelain, Pyrex and dishware are the most destructive contaminants for glass recycling and can damage the recycling equipment.  So, never place them in your recycling bins. So, why recycle glass in the first place? We have TEN good reasons…

Top Ten Reasons to Recycle Glass Bottles

10. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or power a computer for 30 minutes. That’s just one glass bottle.

9. More recycled glass bottles are needed. Stat. Glass container manufacturers have set a goal to reach 50% recycled content in the manufacture of new glass bottles by 2013. They’re going to need a lot more.

8. Spare change. In 10 states with container deposit laws, you can get cash for recycling your empty glass bottles. Or, list them on ecycler.com and a collector will pick them up for free.

7. Conserve natural resources. Over a ton are saved for every ton of glass containers recycled.

6. Save energy. Costs for energy drop about 2-3% for every 10% recycled glass containers used in the manufacturing process. You see where this is going?

5. All this carbon footprint stuff, recycling glass bottles really does makes a difference. Using six tons of recycled container glass in the manufacturing process equals one ton of carbon dioxide reduced.

4. Karma. Glass is 100% and endlessly recyclable. A glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as little as 30 days. It’s gonna come back to you.

3. Bars (we know you’re there) are a hotbed for glass recycling. Over 35% of beer and soft drink bottles were recycled in 2008. Is your corner bar recycling?

2. No dish washer required. Just rinse and recycle your glass bottles and jars. But keep out coffee cups, dishware, and Pyrex.

1. What? You’re not drinking out of an endlessly recyclable glass bottle? Start now. Glass is 100% pure taste—and no after taste.

Top-10 list borrowed from the Glass Packaging Institute website. Check it out for more information about recycling glass. Or, follow @chooseglass on twitter!

Visit ecycler.com today and start recycling glass!

Collectors come to ecycler not only to get recyclables to redeem for cash, but to turn refuse into art.

A Brooklyn-based artist whose glass pieces were featured in the New York Times inquired about collecting plastic bottles, especially Evian bottles, for her work. Her friends save their used plastic bottles for her so that she can repurpose them into beautiful vases and bowls, but she needs to collect items on a larger scale.

Ecycler has received queries from other artists seeking to fashion art out of recyclables, thus opening up a new user base we hadn’t even thought of when creating the site. Ecycler will be featuring an artist named Journi who recently acquired 100 bottles from ecycler’s Recycling Exchange in an upcoming blog posting.

Aluminum, bottles and newspapers (remember those papier-mâché projects from grade school?) are perfect for art projects. School kids and professional artists alike are possible consumers of ecycler.

It just goes to show that one man’s trash really is another’s treasure.

More on the Brooklyn Artist: Shari Mendelson

Thanks GreenWineBottles for use of their image

On ecycler‘s most recent trip through Michigan (a bottle bill state) we took the opportunity to document a typical grocery store redemption center. In four easy steps we went from having an empty soda bottle to being a dime richer…

A little background, first. A reverse vending machine is a device that accepts used beverage containers and returns money to you–the reverse of the typical vending cycle. Once a container is scanned, identified (i.e., matched in a database) and determined to be a valid container, it is processed and (usually) crushed to reduce its size.

Step 1 – Pick a Machine

Choose a machine based on the container material. In Michigan, for example, you have a choice between glass, plastic or aluminum cans.

Step 2 – Insert Containers

In this case, we have a plastic soda bottle. So, we begin by simply depositing the container in the large opening. The machine will “suck” each container into its bowels and increment the counter.

Step 3 – Review Value

Confirm the count as the machine iterates by one with each deposited container. Then press the big green button to finish the transaction.

Step 4 – Print Receipt and Get Cash

The machine will then print a receipt for you. Take this to the “Guest Services” counter or the attendant on hand for your cash!

Congratulations!

It’s that easy… Most of the bottle bill states give a redemption value of five cents, Michigan takes the exception with its ten cent deposit value.

And, we created a special photo set on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecycler/sets/72157625326970436/

It’s Recycle Glass Week (September 12 – 18, 2010)

For more information: http://www.gpi.org/recycle-glass-week/

Top Ten Reasons to Recycle Glass Bottles

10. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or power a computer for 30 minutes. That’s just one glass bottle.

9. More recycled glass bottles are needed. Stat. Glass container manufacturers have set a goal to reach 50% recycled content in the manufacture of new glass bottles by 2013. They’re going to need a lot more.

8. Spare change. In 11 states with container deposit laws, you can get cash for recycling your empty glass bottles. Or, list them on ecycler.com and a collector will pick them up for free.

7. Conserve natural resources. Over a ton are saved for every ton of glass containers recycled.

6. Save energy. Costs for energy drop about 2-3% for every 10% recycled glass containers used in the manufacturing process. You see where this is going?

5. All this carbon footprint stuff, recycling glass bottles really does makes a difference. Using six tons of recycled container glass in the manufacturing process equals one ton of carbon dioxide reduced.

4. Karma. Glass is 100% and endlessly recyclable. A glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as little as 30 days. It’s gonna come back to you.

3. Bars (we know you’re there) are a hotbed for glass recycling. Over 35% of beer and soft drink bottles were recycled in 2008. Is your corner bar recycling?

2. No dish washer required. Just rinse and recycle your glass bottles and jars. But keep out coffee cups, dishware, and Pyrex.

1. What? You’re not drinking out of an endlessly recyclable glass bottle? Start now. Glass is 100% pure taste—and no after taste.

Top-10 list borrowed from the Glass Packaging Institute website. Check it out for more information about recycling glass. Or, follow @chooseglass on twitter!

Last week (21 – 27 Sep 2009) was Recycle Glass week. Congratulations to the 2009 Friends of Glass Honorees! Great Job.

Earth911.com
2009 Friend of Glass – Website

Hyatt Regency Atlanta
2009 Friend of Glass – Hospitality Industry

Representative Jay Inslee
2009 Friend of Glass – Legislator

City of Fort Collins, Colorado, Natural Resource Department
2009 Friend of Glass – Community

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
2009 Best Friend of Glass

Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
2009 Best Friend of Glass

McIlhenny Company for TABASCO® Brand
2009 Best Friend of Glass – Lifetime Achievement Recognition

Full story is here: Recycle Glass Week