Area residents now have clear option for glass recycling

A brewery in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2009 noted that it was discarding tons of glass each year. The observation led to the creation of Ripple Glass, a glass recycling facility that, according to its officials, is now the largest in North America—possibly in the world.

The “Ripple effect,” as the company likes to call its expansions, recently came to DeKalb and nearby counties as Ripple Glass launched a commercial glass recycling program in the Atlanta area, making it easier for bars, restaurants, multi-home housing facilities, and businesses to divert glass from landfills and support a circular economy.

“We’re thrilled to offer an easy, effective, and affordable solution for businesses to recycle the glass that flows through their operation,” said Jamey Moran, commercial program manager at Ripple Glass. “This program not only helps prevent hundreds of tons of glass from entering local landfills, but it also contributes to the creation of valuable products such as beverage bottles and fiberglass insulation that benefit the community and the environment.”

Calling the Atlanta area an ideal choice for Ripple Glass’s expansion, Moran noted that both the city of Atlanta and the city of Decatur have glass recycling programs that collect glass that Ripple Glass processes.

Ripple Glass, noted for its bright purple collection bins, already had a collection facility at the Chamblee Police Department and one on Columbia Drive that is part of DeKalb County’s CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) program.

The company chose purple for its collection bins because “we wanted them to be attractive and distinctive, and we couldn’t figure out how to tie-dye them,” according to Ripple Glass’s website.

Ripple Glass cleans and processes collected glass into cullet, which it defines as “the fancy term for glass that is cleaned, crushed and ready to be processed.” The company calls cullet “a lower-energy alternative for manufacturing new glass products,” adding that the cullet produced by Ripple Glass is used by major manufacturers, including Owens Corning, which transforms it into fiberglass insulation, providing both environmental and economic benefits.

The commercial program offers flexible service levels with 64- and 96-gallon containers available to meet the unique needs of each business, Moran said. “By participating, businesses can reduce environmental impact and support the local economy by creating jobs. Our commercial program is designed to be cost-effective, convenient, and impactful—helping businesses meet sustainability goals while also benefiting the community.”

Ripple officials noted that the company is working with Tito’s Handmade Vodka to cover the cost of set-up fees and first month of service for all new commercial customers.

Non-commercial Atlanta area residents can bring glass to collection bins at no cost. “Most people don’t realize how much glass they throw away—items such as mayonnaise jars or beverage bottles. We invite people to save these for a week so they can see for themselves how much recyclable glass they are throwing away,” Moran said. “Millions of pounds of glass are thrown away in Atlanta every year because there had been limited recycling options.”

Most types of glass are acceptable for the recycling program, the website notes. Even windowpanes, shower doors, and glass tabletops can be recycled as long as frames, hardware, and bases are removed and the glass fits into Ripple Glass’s 3-foot-by-3-foot bins. The program cannot accept laminated or safety glass such as that used in car windshields.

The program accepts all colors of glass, and objects needn’t be separated by color. It also isn’t necessary to remove labels, tops or corks before dropping empty containers into the recycle bin. Rinsing, the website said, is “nice, but not essential.”