A recycled glass processing facility in Portland, will use advanced technology to make more recycled glass into sustainable glass bottles and jars. Glass to Glass is a JV formed by O-I and eCullet, a technology-based recycled glass processing company. The facility will supply recycled glass to the O-I Portland plant located a few miles away. O-I and eCullet announced the joint venture earlier in the year and began construction of the Glass to Glass facility in June 2013. The construction supported around 75 jobs, and the facility will employ 15 people. O-I's Portland plant employs around 200 people and produces over one million bottles per day, primarily beer bottles for local microbreweries. Every 10% of recycled glass used in the manufacturing process reduces energy costs by 2-3% and greenhouse gas emissions by 4010%. However, it is challenging for glass manufacturers to get the high quality recycled glass they need. Much of the recycled glass collected in North American comes from single stream recycling, which mixes paper, metal, plastic and glass. This collection process often results in glass that is too contaminated to be successfully re-introduced into the manufacturing process. One of the reasons O-I and eCullet chose Portland as the site for their joint venture is the steady supply of high quality recycled glass available through the Oregon Container Deposit Program.
