Local business maximizes recycling efforts in Erie

Prism Glass Recycling is taking an extra step to improve glass recycling efforts in Erie County with high volume bars and high volume beer distributors.

The company is teaming up with Owens-Illinois Glass to ensure glass does not sit dormant in a landfill.

“The partnership provides a special collection unit for each participating location that’s unique to them to capture their container glass,” said Laura Guncheon, Vice President of Erie Management Group.

The collection units will accept beer bottles, wine bottles, and any household glass that is container glass. The locations that receive the collection units will be able to conveniently recycle glass at their facility.

“We provide them a specific container and it’s serviced through our partnership with Pro Waste, a local waste hauler, and then it goes to Cap Glass Recycling in Westmoreland County for processing,” Guncheon said.

Shanea Rogers, General Manager of That Place on 26th Street, is a part of the Prism Glass Recycling program and is taking advantage of the services being offered by the company.

“We had been previously taking all of our liquor bottles, like our bigger bottles, to any of the recycling places we can like the Co-op, so we were trying that way. But having something on site saving time that way is good, and also being able to get rid of our beer bottles,” said Shanea Rogers, General Manager of That Place on 26th Street.

Officials with Prism said it is as simple as separating glass bottles and jars throughout the course of the work day.

“Changing our habits, so I came up with putting smaller bins in the front and the garbage in the back, so it’s kind of like a natural reach. It took us about a couple of weeks, but now we’re fully doing it,” Rogers said.

For news delivered right to you, subscribe to JET 24/FOX 66/YourErie.com’s breaking, daily news & severe weather email lists

The collection units are also for community use, but management asks to prevent throwing plastic bags and cardboard boxes in it as it creates problems for the processor.