Three years after removing glass from its acceptable recycling list, Hancock County Ohio Solid Waste Management District (SWMD) resumes its glass recycling program.

“When glass was dropped three years ago, residents were not happy with the decision. Getting glass back as an acceptable material was important, and we are glad it’s back,” said Courtney Comstock, SWMD director of recycling operations, in a statement.

With the support of the Hancock County Commissioners, SWMD purchased roll-off containers and a truck to rebuild the glass collection program at its materials recovery facility and at satellite drop-off locations.

“The Hancock County recycling program was one of the first community programs in Ohio and residents always took pride in diverting glass from the landfills for recycling,” added Comstock.

Hancock County’s decision to add glass back into its recycling list provides a closed loop model for glass recycling through the value chain. Collected glass bottles and jars are transported to the Rumpke Glass Plant in Dayton, Ohio, where it is cleaned and sized for use as a feedstock for fiberglass manufacturing. 

“Glass recycled through the Hancock County recycling program supports a significant recycling infrastructure in Ohio,” said Molly Yeager, corporate communications manager for Rumpke Recycling, in a statement. “Rumpke Dayton Glass Plant prepares glass for use at the Johns Manville fiberglass plant in Defiance, Ohio, about an hour from Hancock County. This is truly a closed loop recycling success story that Hancock residents can be proud of.”

Glass is an important component of recycling and has room for growth. “Glass bottles and jars are 100 percent recyclable and can be recycled infinitely with no degradation on material quality,” said Richard Hoch with Diageo and leader in the Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC) in a statement.

GRC found that 93 percent of consumers and residents expect to be able to recycle their glass containers.