End of Waste (EOW) Foundation and Ripple Glass have announced a partnership to increase glass recycling rates. Ripple has implemented End of Waste’s Blockchain Waste Traceability Software, which traces glass waste quantities from bin to new life, to provide immutable data and prove increased recycling rates.

“Ripple Glass recycles glass from Kansas City and over 100 communities throughout the Midwest. We have increased the glass recycling rate in Kansas City from 3 percent to 20 percent, but in recent years, that recycling rate has stagnated,” said Michelle Goth, general manager of Ripple Glass, in a statement. “To increase glass recycling, the costs of recycling will need to be shared between producers, consumers and processors like us. The End of Waste Foundation will enable cost sharing between those that produce glass and the facilities that recycle it. Our mission at Ripple Glass is to keep glass out of the landfill by making glass recycling work. We believe that glass is too good to waste and look forward to working with the End of Waste Foundation to fix the broken value chain of recycling.”

“In addition to increasing glass recycling rates, Ripple and End of Waste are on a similar mission to divert glass from landfills to the recycle stream. We’re excited to subsidize Ripple’s efforts to reach out to more communities in which glass is being wasted and bring it back in the recycling stream, thus building a circular economy,” said Ionut Georgescu, founder and chief evangelist of EOW Foundation, in a statement.

“We believe in the power of communities and that consumer behavior will help shift the paradigm in recycling. We appreciate Ripple’s innovative approach and the great work they are doing within the communities in which they are active. It is imperative that these communities continue to actively recycle glass and be the changemakers and the example for other parts of the U.S. Our business model includes financial contributions from conscious consumers who want to be part of the solution, and we believe that the partnership with Ripple will help us spread that message,” added Georgescu.

Valued at $70 per ton, sustainable businesses and consumers can enroll in the EOW Foundation program to acquire certificates. Up to $35 per ton will get shared among each entity involved—materials recovery facilities, processors and manufacturers. A minimum of $20 will be dedicated to investments and research and development. The remainder stays with EOW Foundation for scaling, development and maintenance, according to the company.