Container manufacturer Owens-Illinois (O-I) could soon produce bottles from glass collected from kerbside recycling.
The world’s largest container glass manufacturer has signed an agreement in principle with Canadian recycler Groupe Bellemare, based in Quebec.
Groupe Bellemare has a business plan to invest in a new recycling glass facility in the Canadian province.
It said it was ready to purchase new equipment as soon as the supply guarantees are confirmed.
The new outlet for glass recycling in Québec is the result of efforts initiated by Éco Entreprises Québec under its Innovative Glass Works plan.
Beyond guarantees of feedstock, it will foremost require a change in Quebec regulation to ban any use of glass in landfill sites.
One final condition must be met. The Québec government must now put an end to a temporary solution that, for the past several years, has sent glass to landfill to be used as cover material.
“Should the Ministre de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques announce that it is choosing to end this practice and fully support the glass recycling, we will work to secure our feedstock needed for the immediate investment, and our plant will be operational within a year, as per our discussions with O-I,” said Mr. Serge Bellemare, Co-president of Groupe Bellemare.