Glass is a material that is ever present in our everyday lives. It contains the water and soft drinks we drink, it holds the sauces and oils we cook with, and it’s in some plates and bowls we eat with. Its versatility is remarkable.
Glass is also quite sustainable, as it can be endlessly recycled into new products; however, the material has a relatively low recycling rate in the United States. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the overall glass recycling rate in 2018 was 31.3% — 3.1 million tons.
Photo Courtesy EPIC Glass Recycling
When properly recycled, communities can reap several environmental benefits. The Glass Packaging Institute says more than a ton of natural resources are conserved for every ton of recycled glass. Those numbers break down to about “1,300 pounds of sand, 410 pounds of soda ash, 380 pounds of limestone, and 160 pounds of feldspar.” The institute also says glass recycling creates no excess waste or by-products.
With these benefits in mind, an Arkansas organization has set out to tackle the issue in the Natural State. EPIC Glass Recycling was established by ACE Glass Construction Corporation as a response to glass not being among the materials picked up through traditional recycling services in the state. It has operated since 2017 but became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2022.
“We all are trying to work together in the state of Arkansas to improve sustainability, and there is a good business case for them to do that,” Bob Crawford, business development manager and current operating partner for EPIC Glass Recycling, told KUAR in a 2022 interview. “We really are trying to improve sustainability within the borders of our state.”
Video Courtesy EPIC Glass Recycling
Until May 2024, the organization offered a residential weekly glass pickup service for a fee in Little Rock and surrounding areas. However, the city entered an agreement with Waste Management, which now handles residential curbside pickup. EPIC Glass Recycling offers commercial service to businesses and accepts glass for free from several drop-off sites in central Arkansas.
The organization’s website lists items that should be included when recycling glass: bottles and jars, tempered glass, and broken and colored glass. Residents and businesses shouldn’t include glass cookware, leaded glass, light bulbs, mirrors, dishware, porcelain, plexiglass, or ceramics.
EPIC Glass Recycling says the far-reaching goal is to develop a statewide network of collection centers. It wants to increase the volume of glass collected and in the process create jobs that have a positive economic and environmental impact.
Photo Courtesy Nareeta Martin
With that goal in mind, the organization partnered with ACE Glass and Plastics Recycling, which is building a glass recycling plant in North Little Rock — it was announced in July 2023.
“We’re very excited to be able to offer an in-state recycling option for cities, counties, and solid waste agencies that currently collect glass, ramp up collections where not currently offered, and add additional services where needed,” Courtney Little, Epic Glass Recycling founder, said in a press release.
“By being able to collect, recycle, and manufacture products from glass in an end-to-end process, Epic Glass Recycling will now be able to productively repurpose what was once waste into viable products or raw materials rather than sending it to landfills or out-of-state,” he continued.
