One in Four Americans Plan to Make Recycling Part of New Year’s Resolutions

According to a new poll released by the Glass Packaging Institute and Opinion Research, one-in-four (27%) Americans plan to make a New Year’s resolution this year to recycle more, and a majority of Americans (71%) planned to recycle following holiday parties, gatherings, or meals this year.

The poll was conducted in conjunction with the Glass Packaging Institute’s (GPI) Recycle Glass Day which took place on December 10, 2008. By recycling their glass bottles and jars, Americans are making a New Year’s resolution this year to recycle more and committing to recycle at holiday gatherings. Recycle Glass Day will become an annual event to help build national awareness about benefits of glass container recycling for the environment.

“We are very excited about the response to our first-ever Recycle Glass Day and people’s commitments to recycle more in 2009,” said Joseph Cattaneo, president of the Glass Packaging Institute. “Recycling your glass bottles and jars saves energy and the environment as glass is 100 percent recyclable in a closed-loop system.”

In conjunction with Recycle Glass Day, GPI has also committed to using at least 50 percent of recycled glass available to manufacture new glass bottles and jars by 2013. Using the EPA’s benefits calculator, GPI estimates energy savings from using 50% recycled content in all glass packages manufactured in the US could save enough energy to power over 45,000 households for a year. 

“The Glass Packaging Institute and its member companies have long been committed to recycling of glass and other materials,” said Cattaneo. “We plan to accelerate support of legislative and regulatory measures that will dramatically improve glass recycling systems in order to reach our environmental goals.”

The poll of 1,005 respondents was conducted November 20-23 by Opinion Research for the Glass Packaging Institute. It has a margin of error of +/- 3%.

Source: The Glass Packaging Institute

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