Cheers to 10 Years Dayton Glass Recycling Plant Marks a Milestone

Ten years have passed since Rumpke first opened a unique facility to recycle glass. Since then, 190,000 tons of glass have been diverted from landfills and recycled into fiberglass insulation and glass containers.

The facility, located in Dayton, Ohio, makes it possible for people throughout the region to recycle container glass from their homes and businesses. A variety of containers from bottles for wine, beer and spirits to jars for pickles and spaghetti sauce make their way through the plant every day.

See a full list of items accepted for recycling.

There are only a handful of similar sites throughout the country, but there is a great demand for recycled glass. Rumpke has partnered with the Ohio EPA to reach bars, restaurants and the public to recover more glass.

In its first year of operation, the Dayton glass plant cleaned and crushed 8,400 tons of broken and mixed glass for insulation manufacturers. In 2011, Rumpke invested more than $4 million to upgrade the plant with new technology and equipment to begin providing clear and amber cullet to bottle manufacturers. Today, the plant processes 48,000 tons of glass annually, with capability to do even more.

Watch the glass recycling plant in action.

 “New technology is continuing to be developed to assist in reducing the cost of transportation, contamination and processing,” said Recycling Director Steve Sargent. “Although these challenges remain, Rumpke feels there is a positive future for glass recycling."

Rumpke’s 10 recycling plants throughout the region process 350,000 tons of recycling per year, combined.  The company has invested $50 million in recycling in recent years and the Dayton site is a DRG3 Green Certified Business.