Two years ago, Anchorage, Alaska, struggled with glass recycling, averaging about 1,200 tons of glass annually for recycling. But now, following a successful pilot program, one company operated by the municipality is ramping up commercial glass recycling.

For a monthly fee, Solid Waste Services will provide businesses like bars and restaurants with 96-gallon glass recycling bins. The bins will be picked up once a week, and the glass will be taken to Central Recycling Services, where it will be crushed and used as fill in construction projects, according to a report by KTVA.

KTVA has more details:

A pilot program to offer commercial glass recycling to local businesses has been so successful that one waste management service in Anchorage has decided to make it permanent.

Suzanna Caldwell is the recycling coordinator for Solid Waste Services, which is operated by the municipality. She said for a monthly fee the city will provide businesses, especially bars and restaurants, with 96-gallon glass recycling bins.

The bins are picked up once a week and taken directly to Central Recycling Services, a company in the Ship Creek industrial area. There, the glass is crushed into small pieces — some as fine as sand — and used as fill in local construction projects.

Read the full story here.