Rumpke Recycling's glass facility creates raw material for fiberglass insulation and glass containers.

The test phase is underway at Rumpke Recycling's glass processing facility in Dayton, Ohio. For six months, crews have been installing new equipment that is expected to double the facility's processing capability to 40,000 tons per year.

This major recycling project is possible through a $4 million investment from Rumpke Recycling and a $500,000 Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) grant accepted by the City of Dayton.

For 10 years, the facility has processed broken and mixed glass for use by Johns Manville (JM), a manufacturer of fiberglass insulation. Earlier this year, Rumpke Recycling partnered with ODNR and Owens-Illinois (O-I) to install a new system that will create a product suitable for the glass container industry.

Glass is a difficult material to handle but with the help of Ohio firms like JM and O-I, Rumpke Recycling has met the challenge.

 

While this stockpile appears to be trash, it's actually 70 percent glass that will be processed in the new facility.

“Securing consistent markets for glass has been a long-time challenge for Ohio recyclers. While many collection programs seek to remove glass from their recycling programs, Rumpke has committed a substantial amount of capital and time to incorporate glass as one of the items Ohio households and businesses can recycle on a daily basis," said Steve Sargent, director of Rumpke Recycling.

The new system includes optical scanning technology to sort clear and colored container glass, making the recovery process more efficient and economical. In turn, this means more cost-effective recycling programs for consumers, bars and restaurants and potentially job growth across the state. Of course, it’s also a demonstration of Rumpke’s commitment to diverting material from landfills.

Written by Rumpke's Corporate Communications Team.