US glass recycling major almost doubles capacity

United States – Among North America’s largest glass recyclers, Strategic Materials, Inc. has started up production at its new ‘state-of-the-art’ glass processing plant in Delavan, Wisconsin. The 12 000 m2 facility will replace the company’s plant at East Troy in the same US state.

The city of Delevan was chosen by the company in partnership with state recycling organisations – including the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin, the Solid Waste Association of North America and the Wisconsin Counties Solid Waste Manager Association – as a centralised location to help defray material recovery facility logistics costs in transporting glass from the state’s most densely populated cities. Some 121 000 tonnes of glass enters the recycling stream on an annual basis, it is estimated.

‘We are delighted to provide a solution to the state of Wisconsin for glass recycling,’ comments Strategic Materials’ president and ceo Denis Suggs. ‘Our new facility was built to better serve not only our customers, but also our suppliers. We’ve nearly doubled our capacity, and are able to meet end-market demand with a higher-quality product.’

In the USA, recycled glass is used primarily for container glass and fibre glass manufacturing, resulting in ‘up to 30% energy savings, and reduction in CO2 emissions’.