Northwest Ohio is getting a head start on Earth Day thanks to the Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium’s “Glass Recycling Blitz” an almost week-long initiative that kicks off Wednesday, April 16 and concludes on Earth Day itself, April 22.
The NOIC is a collaboration among local industries in the Northwest Ohio region with goals to develop sustainable manufacturing, as well as create talent development pipelines and technological innovation. Glass industry members include NSG/Pilkington, Owens Corning and First Solar, among many others.
Matthew Kirian, director and assistant secretary for the NOIC, says this collaboration among the industry is working to help local regions, including Lucas County, improve recycling infrastructure. “County leaders have been very energetic and excited about getting industry partners working more closely with county officials,” he says. “They've got glass problems. We've got glass industry. Let's create a more sustainable future for everyone's kids and grandkids.”
Glass Recycling Blitz Events
- April 16 Kickoff Event: Community members can learn about the glass recycling process, its environmental impact, and how residents can take part.
- Recycling Drop-Off Locations: The NOIC will provide multiple convenient collection points across Northwest Ohio. Participants are invited to bring glass bottles only, excluding non-recyclable glass materials such as windows, Pyrex and fiberglass.
Why it’s important
Glass recycling in the regions participating in the blitz have faced challenges similar to other parts of the country in that glass recycling collection may be inconsistent between different areas. “We're really trying to help people understand that they can recycle glass in this region,” Kirian emphasizes.
To that end, the initiative is also testing out new recycling collection points around the area to aid in that process. Kirian says the NOIC is looking to “build connections” towards a larger goal of increasing recycling rates and collection for the area’s local Municipal Recycling Facilities.
The benefits of glass recycling are many, including the reduction of raw material mining and the lower amount of energy that needs to be used when re-melting glass.
Kirian says the NOIC is “really hopeful for driving the recycled content volume up in our region, getting it back to industry faster, and helping them utilize it better … and also just helping people feel more engaged in this region.”
Recycling education and long-term goals
The Glass Recycling Blitz is about consumer education, but education is a throughline in the NOIC’s efforts to raise recycling rates. Partnering with the Glass Manufacturers Industry Council, the NOIC plans to provide content for glass education tool kits that can be used to educate K-12 students about glass and the importance of recycling. “You tell students, and they tell their parents,” Kirian says.
Beyond recycling, the NOIC is investigating the use of AI to optimize furnace control and energy efficiency. To further innovation, the group is also partnering with the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University to expand research, including in the solar glass space.
In creating new recycling infrastructure and connections that strengthens local industry, the NOIC is also looking to ensure workforce development and talent retention in the area. Kirian has said that the region has historically seen a “brain drain” and that this type of initiative could help reverse that. “We have so much great expertise here. We want to help people build their careers here, build out careers for their kids. We’re trying to really perpetuate that.”
