O-I is joining Corona and the Glass Recycling Foundation (GRF) for a pilot glass recapture program in Chicago. The project’s focus is to build public awareness of the need to keep glass bottles out of landfills and keep them in the manufacturing loop. As part of the initiative sponsored by Corona, the GRF will collect glass bottles from Chicago-based bars and restaurants throughout the summer.
The traveling glass recapture program, which kicked off over the Memorial Day weekend, includes an interactive experience that sheds light on the need for glass recycling. The initiative will further educate beer lovers about the value of glass recycling and reusability and as a sustainable packaging material. The GRF hopes this will lead to a more permanent commercial bar and restaurant glass recycling program in Chicagoland.
O-I believes that glass should never be trash and will use the glass gathered from the Chicago-based locations to make new glass packaging at its Lapel, Indiana, plant. Corona and O-I value glass for its reusability and believe that educating the public about glass recycling is vital to a sustainable economy.
Glass is endlessly recyclable, yet most people don’t understand its actual value to the environment and our economy. Glass packaging is made from four natural ingredients: sand, soda ash, limestone, and recycled glass. A glass bottle can go from a recycling bin back to a store in as little as 30 days. Glass recycling is an integral part of a closed-loop system and creates no additional waste or by-products. It is 100% recyclable, yet currently, more than 28 million glass bottles end up in landfills each year. Corona’s summer pilot program aims to change that in Chicago, one bottle at a time; You can join an event through July.
O-I’s sustainability vision is to be the most sustainable manufacturer of the most sustainable rigid packaging. Achieving this goal requires collaboration with our stakeholders, including our communities and our customers. O-I’s participation in the GRF and Corona’s glass recapture pilot program in Chicago is an example of our commitment to find innovative solutions and collaborate to build a more robust, low-waste, circular economy.
