All recycling programs aren’t built the same, and a new plan adopted in Victoria, Australia, is a big win for glass recycling—and maybe a model for other communities.
The Victorian State Government announced an overhaul of its curbside recycling system in Feb. 2020. The state’s new four-bin waste recycling system makes it easier for people to recycle. Families in the state will have a purple recycling bin that’s designated exclusively to glass containers.
Recycling programs that recycle glass separately from other materials allow a higher rate of recycled glass to be put back into the manufacturing process. Using recycled glass to make new glass containers works toward circularity of the product, saves energy and reduces emissions.
Members of O-I’s Australia team worked closely with the Victorian Environment Minister for more than three years, advising on best practices for glass recycling.
About one million homes will have the purple glass-only recycling bin by the end of 2020.
