GPI Relaunches Site With Emphasis on Glass Recycling

The Glass Packaging Institute, which represents companies using glass packaging for food, drinks, medicine and more, has unveiled a site redesign that focuses more on educating consumers about the environmental benefits of glass packaging and recycling.

According to GPI, glass recycling is a closed-loop system, creating no additional waste or by-products. - GPI.org

Among the added features, the new website includes:

• A calculator showing how much energy you can save by recycling glass
• An overview of what products are available to purchase with glass packaging
• A time line of changes to the glass packaging industry over the years

The GPI is trying to emphasize the relevance of glass packaging because it is “the only packaging container the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ‘generally recognized as safe’.” The site also features Earth911.com’s recycling search engine, so users can find out where to locally recycle their glass.

“Consumers are more eager than ever to make informed decisions for a healthy and ‘green’ lifestyle, which includes the packaging for their favorite foods and beverages,” said Joseph Cattaneo, GPI president. “The new GPI website is a great resource for consumers to learn about the superior health and environmental benefits of glass containers.”

One important distinction to make when recycling glass is that recycling availability depends on color. There is more of a market for clear glass bottles than colors such as brown or green, most commonly associated with beer and wine, respectively.