Olszewski Announces Baltimore County Secures New Market Agreement to Recycle Glass

Through 10-year Agreement, County will Provide Glass to be Recycled as New Glass Containers

Baltimore County today that announced the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Solid Waste Management has started a new glass recycling program in partnership with Cap Glass, Inc. of Connellsville, Pennsylvania. 

Under the new 10-year agreement, the County will deliver glass from the Cockeysville Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to the Cap Glass facility in Baltimore City. Cap Glass will process the glass to remove contaminants (such as paper and other items) and recover marketable glass. The marketable glass will be sent to OI Glass, Inc. to make new glass containers. 

"A better Baltimore County is one where sustainability and the future of our planet is a top priority, and this new agreement puts that commitment into action as we make our County's recycling even more efficient," said County Executive Johnny Olszewski. "I'm proud that our team was able to find an innovative solution to resume glass recycling in Baltimore County, reducing waste output in the process." 

The glass recycling program will expand both the number of products and the volume of material that the County will be able to market. The County started delivering glass loads on July 20, 2020.  

"This is an important initiative to expand the County's current recycling efforts," said Michael R. Beichler, C.P.E Chief of the Baltimore County Department of Public Works' Bureau of Solid Waste Management. "We're thankful to engage in this productive partnership with Cap Glass and are looking forward to working together for years to come." 

Until 2013, Baltimore County directly processed glass recycling. Like most jurisdictions across the country, Baltimore County experienced both technical and financial limitations that prevented efficient glass recycling at municipal facilities. 

This new agreement is the result of Baltimore County's multi-year search for a sustainable glass market. Olszewski, who took office in December 2018, provided new funding in the County's FY21 budget to help support County efforts to pursue a cost-efficient glass recycling initiative. 

This is the latest effort from the Olszewski Administration to promote environmental sustainability. 

Shortly after taking office, Olszewski created the County's first Chief Sustainability Officer who is leading the development of county-wide Climate Action Plan, covering topics such as reduced energy consumption, promotion of green infrastructure, and sustainable growth policy. Earlier this year, Olszewski convened a Youth Climate Working Group to ensure youth voices and recommendations are included in the County's Climate Action Plan and other sustainability efforts. The Youth Climate Working Group presented their recommendations to the administration in April 2020.