The third annual survey by the Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC), released at the GRC Fall 2020 Member Meeting, queried more than 200 municipal officials, top glass industry professionals, and materials recovery facility (MRF) operators in an open survey from August to September 2020.

The survey revealed some shift in perceptions, trends and concerns among glass recycling stakeholders.

• Concerns about glass recycling decreased by 13 percent since 2018 among public-sector representatives; however, challenges persist in cost-effectiveness, end market availability, and contamination.
• More than 55 percent of MRFs have increased recycling education influenced by current market conditions, increased contamination, and rising quality standards.
• Ninety-five percent of public-sector respondents care about what happens to glass collected for recycling up from 53 percent in 2018.
• Top priorities for the public-sector respondents included resident satisfaction, meeting recycling/sustainability goals and reducing contamination. Glass industry respondents named consumer’s desire to recycle glass as a top priority.
• Haulers, MRFs and the public-sector were ranked as members of the value chain that should cover the cost of collecting and processing recyclables (not solely glass).
• Approximately 50 to 60 percent of public-sector and glass industry respondents facing glass recycling challenges expressed interest in public-private partnerships and grants to improve glass recycling and help them achieve their goals.