With the Glass Packaging Institute and GlassKing Recovery & Recycling, Smirnoff plans to work with local bars and restaurants to recover as much glass as possible in the Chicago area.
Following World Cleanup Day on Sept. 17, Smirnoff, a brand of New York City-based Diageo North America, has announced it will undertake a mission to develop more sustainable packaging and systems by 2030.
Smirnoff is heading to Chicago to partner on an initiative to collect used glass the company will recycle to create new bottles for its products. Through its partnership with the Don’t Trash Glass (DTG) campaign, a combined effort with the Glass Packaging Institute, Berkely Springs, West Virginia, and GlassKing Recovery & Recycling, Phoenix, Smirnoff will support the campaign’s effort to work with more than 300 Chicago bars, restaurants and local businesses to gather used and discarded glass bottles, increasing the total available recycled glass in the area.
“This partnership with Smirnoff helps support educational and relationship-building opportunities with local restaurants and bars so they can be at the forefront of glass recycling,” Glass Packaging Institute President Scott DeFife says. “Encouraging these businesses to be influencers within the glass recycling process will have long-lasting effects, not only on our environment but also on the glass manufacturing and supply chain process.”
In partnership with Smirnoff, DTG will scour the Chicago area to collect ready-to-recycle glass bottles that will be processed by Smirnoff’s glass partners and transported to the Smirnoff packaging plant in Plainfield, Illinois, where the company will fill and deliver them to communities nationwide.
“We take our commitment to a more sustainable future very seriously,” Diageo Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer Ed Pilkington says. “Smirnoff is packaged and bottled in Plainfield, so it was important we started this movement right here in our backyard. When it comes to the environment, the way we can all help the planet is by doing our part to better our communities, and Chicago is just the beginning for Smirnoff.”
With DTG, Smirnoff will lead the charge to educate bartenders, staff, employees, custodians and others who deal directly with waste management to encourage them to adopt more sustainable practices.
“This initiative is a good indicator of the need for systems to be put in place, not just in Chicago, but around the country to create a more circular economy for glass,” GlassKing Recovery & Recycling Chief Operating Officer Rose King says. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Smirnoff on this initiative, a brand that clearly values sustainable practices and bettering our communities for future generations.”
Improving circularity and reducing waste are priorities for Smirnoff and Diageo. Beginning with work on reuse and refill projects, the efforts from the DTG initiative will contribute to the company’s commitment to reimagine packaging and become sustainable by design—a key pillar of Diageo’s approach to sustainability outlined in its 10-year action plan, Society 2030: Spirit of Progress.
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More than 642 tons of waste will be diverted from landfills and converted into renewable energy as a result of the partnership.
When the New England Patriots take the field in Foxborough this month, they’ll have a new ally working behind the scenes to make the home game experience great. WIN Waste Innovations is bringing its curb-to-grid waste-handling model to professional sports in New England.
In partnership with Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution, the local soccer club, the company will collect, handle and process the trash and recyclables generated at the stadium and convert waste to renewable energy.
The partnership with Gillette Stadium, the Patriots, and the Revolution is projected to divert 642 tons of stadium waste from landfills, offsetting the equivalent need for nearly 769 barrels of oil, 224 tons of coal or 53,715 cubic feet of natural gas.
“We are excited to help Gillette Stadium advance its sustainability strategy while delivering industry-leading waste and recycling services to the stadium,” WIN Waste Innovations CEO Bob Boucher says. “By diverting waste from landfills and creating renewable power, we are preserving natural resources, helping to protect the planet and providing an essential service to a sustainability-minded organization.”
WIN Waste says it recycles 234,000 tons of plastics, metals, and paper each year and converts more than 6.7 million tons of waste into renewable energy that powers communities and businesses throughout the region.
“Being thoughtful about how we handle waste generated at Gillette Stadium is key to our goal of continuously reducing our environmental impact,” says Jim Nolan, chief operating officer of Kraft Sports and Entertainment. “We have an ongoing commitment to sustainability, and this partnership with WIN Waste Innovations is another big step toward that end. We are excited to team up with WIN Waste to put Gillette Stadium’s waste to work for the planet.”
The council recognized its award winners during its 2022 Annual Conference.
The Nebraska Recycling Council (NRC), Lincoln, Nebraska, has presented several awards during its 2022 Annual Conference, which took place Sept. 15. The event focused on recognizing the accomplishments of member organizations and provided learning opportunities for resource management professionals.
NRC has posted brief videos for each of its 2022 award winners to its website. NRC’s 2022 award winners include:
Harley Hollan says Superior's acquisition will enable it to significantly expand its service offering in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, market.
Superior Waste Industries LLC, a Shawnee, Oklahoma-based environmental services holding company, completed its second acquisition by acquiring Harley Hollan Cos., a solid waste management company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company offers commercial collection services, industrial and construction roll-off services, recycling and a transfer station in Tulsa.
“Adding Harley Hollan Cos. to the Superior platform is a key piece of our strategy to be the leading independent waste company in Oklahoma by adding additional services and geographic coverage,” says Billy Dietrich, Superior CEO. “We are very impressed with what Harley [Hollan] and his family have accomplished and see them as ideal partners for us as we continue to grow.”
According to a news release, Harley Hollan says Superior's acquisition will enable it to significantly expand its service offering in the Tulsa market while providing employees significant growth opportunities, as well. Harley Hollan made a significant investment in Superior as part of the transaction, and he will continue to manage the Harley Hollan operations.
Superior says it intends to be the “partner of choice” for waste industry entrepreneurs seeking growth capital or to transition their businesses. Superior partnered with Red Dog Equity LLC, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, which, through its partnership with Monroe Capital and Tom Pritzker’s family business interests (advised by The Pritzker Organization), has additional equity capital available to fund Superior’s future acquisitions. Monroe Capital also provides debt financing to Superior.
The two industry associations approved changes to the ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular and Association of Plastic Recyclers Model Bale Specifications.
The Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and the Washington-based Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) have updated both the ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular and APR Model Bale Specifications with revised recycled plastics specifications.
According to a news release from ISRI, these specifications were approved at the ISRI board and governance meetings July 14 as well as by the APR board of directors Aug. 2. ISRI says the specification updates “are intended to more accurately reflect the recycled plastic materials currently being traded in the marketplace.”
Since ISRI last updated recycled plastics specifications for the ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular, ISRI says technological innovations, such as optical sorters, robotics and artificial intelligence, have enabled recyclers to sort and process plastics more effectively. However, ISRI adds, evolving packaging and recycling streams require that ISRI and APR continually update bale specifications based on those changing designs.
ISRI says the specifications updates also highlight changes to the recycling stream that came as a result of the pandemic. The increased use of disposable face masks and medical equipment caused these nonrecyclable materials to enter the recycling stream, and ISRI says these specifications clarify that these nonrecyclable materials are not acceptable for recycling.
The updated specifications also address the increased use of batteries in consumer products. ISRI says the updated specifications clarify that batteries should not be placed into recycling streams by classifying them as disallowed contaminants in all plastics bale specifications.
Additionally, APR updated its APR Model Bale Specifications with revisions for recycled plastics specifications. According to ISRI, APR’s updated specifications provide guidelines for recycling market acceptance of various postconsumer, including some postcommercial, recycled plastic bales. The updates are not intended to replace the specifications of individual buyers that may allow or prohibit different contents or bale sizes.
Kate Eagles, program director at APR, says the specification update process involved working with APR’s North American plastics reclaimer members to review existing specifications and discuss any updates to desired materials and tolerable (allowable at low levels) versus prohibited contaminants, with a focus on providing as much clarity as possible to help facilitate quality material. She says APR also looked to add consistency across model specifications where possible in terms of shared introductory text, category headers, contaminant lists and general terminology used.
As a result of these updates, APR’s Model Bale Specifications now feature three polyethylene terephthalate (PET) model bale specifications: PET bottles without thermoforms; PET bottles with thermoforms; and PET thermoform only. Eagles says the “PET bottles with thermoforms” is a new model bale specification.
APR also adjusted the names of a few of the model film specifications to accurately reflect the specification content. In addition, APR expanded the “check with your buyer” section on model specifications, such as high-density polyethylene color, to reflect reclaimer-acknowledged differences in material acceptance.
ISRI President Robin Wiener says these changes resulted from “two years of work” by volunteers in ISRI’s Plastics and Nonferrous divisions.
“The ISRI Specs Circular is a living document representing the dynamic recycled materials industry,” she says. “Additionally, I am grateful to our partnership with the Association of Plastic Recyclers, which allowed us to work together to harmonize our specifications across all segments of the industry.”
“The APR was pleased to collaborate with ISRI to ensure consistency across the plastics recycling industry,” says Steve Alexander, president and CEO of APR. “These model bale specifications facilitate greater understanding of the packaging / products commonly accepted by reclaimers for recycling and also provide insight for the broader marketplace and value chain.”