Dive Brief:
- Recycler Glass Half Full has opened a new facility in Chalmette, Louisiana, this month, meant to boost glass recycling capacity in the Southeastern U.S.
- The 10,000-square-foot facility has a recycling capacity of about 300,000 pounds per day, a 30-fold increase from its previous location, the company said in a news release. The expanded capacity will allow Glass Half Full to widen its collection radius to several surrounding states.
- The new facility includes optical sorting machinery for the first time, which will enable Glass Half Full to begin producing cullet. The company also repurposes glass into sand for coastal restoration projects, color-sorted glass for countertops and other applications.
Dive Insight:
Glass Half Full’s expansion aims to meet growing demand for glass recycling in the Gulf Coast region, an area CEO and co-founder Franziska Trautmann said has limited options for such services. In recent years, the company has had more demand for glass than it has been able to process, she said.
Glass Half Full offers subscription collection services, including residential routes and commercial routes that pick up glass from hotels, bars and casinos. The company last year expanded its footprint into areas of Mississippi and Alabama.
Glass Half Full has a staff of 20 people and plans to double that number in the next two years. “Not only does it help advance our work in addressing the region’s coastal erosion crisis, but it also lays a strong foundation for creating jobs and economic opportunity,” Trautmann said in a statement.
Coastal restoration projects are a critical part of Glass Half Full’s business, with a large part of the glass the company processes going back to nearby coastlines. The company produces sand for coastal projects based on input from researchers at Tulane University. That sand has gone into restoration projects as part of partnerships with The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe.
Glass Half Full is also using some of its glass sand for a land restoration project on the site of its new facility.
Such restoration projects have helped Glass Half Full attract local investment, said Rita Gue, president of the Meraux Foundation, in a statement. Glass Half Full receives both financial and in-kind support from the foundation, which supports business development in Louisiana’s St. Bernard Parish. The foundation also provided the land for the new facility, which Glass Half Full says is large enough to accommodate future expansion plans.
“Turning a former landfill into a hub for innovation shows what’s possible when we invest in smart solutions,” Gue said. “This facility will create jobs, reduce waste, and strengthen coastal protection — demonstrating that economic growth and environmental progress go hand in hand."
The Meraux Foundation last year announced a $3.7 million donation for glass recycling projects in the parish, including Glassroots, one of Glass Half Full’s partner organizations that focuses on recycling education and outreach. The funding and support is meant to help create new jobs and generate tax revenue for the parish, Gue said.
Last year, Glass Half Full also announced a $6.5 million funding round led by Benson Capital Partners and supported by Momentum Fund, Innovation Catalyst and other investors.
“We are proud to support Glass Half Full’s expansion and their dedication to sustainability and innovation,” Gayle Benson, founder of Benson Capital Partners, said in a statement. “This new facility is a testament to Glass Half Full’s vision and hard work, and it will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the Gulf South region.”
The new facility integrates sustainable building elements, according to RNGD Building and Steel, which led the construction along with Nucor Building Systems. That includes a custom terrazzo floor from Louisiana-based Terrazzo Masters, which is made from polished recycled material produced by Glass Half Full.
This story first appeared in the Waste Dive: Recycling newsletter. Sign up for the weekly emails here.
