The Glass Plant

Some random facts about glass recycling:

• There are 46 glass manufacturing plants operating in 22 states. At these plants, glass is remelted into new food and beverage containers.
• Over a ton of natural resources are saved for every ton of glass recycled.
• One ton of carbon dioxide is reduced for every six tons of recycled container glass used in the manufacturing process.
• Recycled glass is substituted for up to 95% of raw materials.
• An estimated 80% of all glass containers recovered for recycling are remelted in furnaces, and used in the manufacture of new glass containers. 
• Recycling 1,000 tons of glass creates slightly over 8 jobs. 

(Source: 2011 Container Recycling Institute).

These pictures were taken outside of the local glass plant, if you want to learn more, click here on How Glass Is Made. And yes, those are tiny pieces of glass that I am standing on--there are truly MOUNTAINS of broken glass at the glass plant!

Owens-Illinois specializes in container glass products.  It is one of the world's leading manufacturers of packaging products and is the largest manufacturer of glass containers in North America, South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Approximately one of every two glass containers made worldwide is made by O-I.  Chances are some of the glass bottles in your home came from here!