Glass Packaging Institute

October 23, 2023

We are pleased to welcome The Glass Packing Institute as a new Supporting Advisory Members to Northeast Recycling Council

Formed in August 2017, NERC’s Glass Committee seeks to better understand the recycled glass value chain and gaps in the Northeast, and to promote greater diversion of glass containers to the highest-value end uses. Despite the fact that glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality, challenges to the use of recycled glass exist. The weight of recycled glass presents challenges to transport over distances. In addition, debate continues over preference for extended producer responsibility (EPR) or bottle bills, although efforts are being made to reconcile the two approaches. A NERC webinar held in the Spring concluded that “bottle deposit systems and extended producer responsibility programs for packaging can complement each other, but need to be run effectively.”


With these opportunities and challenges in mind, NERC enthusiastically welcomes the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) to its growing roster of Sustaining Advisory Members. According to GPI President Scott DeFife, “We are the national trade association representing glass container manufacturers, glass recyclers and their supply chain partners in North America.”


“We support efforts to expand collection of glass containers and increase recycling rates of glass across the country,” DeFife notes. “We have successfully begun several initiatives in various areas to collect more glass from the hospitality sector, as well as supporting expansion and modernization of deposit return systems and extended producer responsibility programs that improve recycling.”


The positive impact of GPI’s membership has been felt quickly, as DeFife commented on the Glass Committee’s most recent report, which found that three-quarters of Northeast states use recycled glass as Alternative Daily Cover (ADC), instead of being used to manufacture new products. ADC is glass used as cover material placed on the surface of the active face of a municipal solid waste landfill.


“For years, GPI has been working to make policymakers and recycling stakeholders aware of this ongoing challenge, and we thank NERC for highlighting this issue,” DeFife stated. “GPI agrees with the report’s conclusion that more investment in glass recycling infrastructure would help decrease material contamination, and increase the volume of quality glass suitable to be recycled into new containers.”


“Local governments and states should re-consider providing any diversion or recycling credits to entities using glass as a landfill cover substitute, or for disposal of glass in any similar manner,” DeFife continued. “ADC should only be allowed after all other end market options for glass sorted by Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) are explored.”


Weighing in on the debate over EPR vs. bottle bills, DeFife stated, “There is ample proof that we need more bottle return programs, not fewer. It is in states and communities’ clear and vital interest to pass DRS (deposit return system) legislation, especially those legislatures that are also considering extended producer responsibility programs for packaging. Curbside pickup will remain a recycling staple but must remain supported by proven recycling programs that create higher volumes of cleaner streams of recyclable material.”


In addition to actively advocating for improved glass recycling infrastructure, GPI hosts the Clear Choice Awards (CCA) for glass packaging. The awards highlight “consumer product goods manufacturers who find noteworthy ways to use glass packaging to tell the story of their brand, create glass packaging designs that stand out from others, and help brands meet their sustainability goals,” according to GPI.


The involvement of the nation’s leading trade association in efforts to improve glass recycling is an essential step toward realizing such improvement. NERC looks forward to working further with GPI on our shared goals.of its solutions to the wider community.


For more information about the Glass Packaging Institute click here

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Northeast recycled commodity values hit 5-year lows

By Antoinette Smith | Resource Recycling • March 6, 2026
Fourth-quarter MRF commodity values in the Northeast reached five-year lows, as they continued to drop but at a decelerating pace, according to Northeast Recycling Council survey data released this week. The average value for all commodities fell to $68.41/ton without residuals, lower by 8.96% on the quarter. This level marks the lowest point since Q4 2020, when the grade hit $60.46. The report includes responses from 18 MRFs representing 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. With residuals, average values were at $52.49/ton with residuals, lower by 12.75% – the lowest point since Q3 2020, when the grade reached $40.19. The report also detailed the change in Q4 average values, with For PET, PP and mixed plastics (#3-7), as well as steel cans, the rate of decrease slowed in the quarter, while OCC, aluminum cans and mixed paper continued falling at the same pace as the previous quarter. Average pricing for both natural and color HDPE bales, brown glass containers and all other paper rose in Q4. However, clear glass, green glass and 3-mix glass containers, along with bulky rigids, fell during the period, after rising in Q3. The report points out that recovered glass often is marketed but at a negative value, meaning recipients are paid to take it away. Single stream decreased by 7.87% without residuals and by 9.82% with residuals, while dual stream/source separated materials fell by 10.57% without residuals, and by 18.98% with residuals. Although dual-stream MRFs did not decelerate as much as their single-stream counterparts, they did see a higher average commodity price compared to single stream for both with and without residuals. Residual material cannot be sold and is landfilled. The report also showed the 2024 share of each material at 18 MRFs, with OCC and mixed paper representing nearly one half of incoming volumes. Of the included states, five have deposit return systems for beverage containers, which results in fewer glass bottles, PET bottles and aluminum cans winding up in MRFs there. In addition, MRFs in those states typically generate less revenue from those recyclables, the report said. The report also showed the 2024 share of each material at 18 MRFs, with OCC and mixed paper representing nearly one half of incoming volumes. Of the included states, five have deposit return systems for beverage containers, which results in fewer glass bottles, PET bottles and aluminum cans winding up in MRFs there. In addition, MRFs in those states typically generate less revenue from those recyclables, the report said. Of the three approaches reflected in the report – single stream, dual stream and source separation – single stream is the most common. Read the article on Resource Recycling's website.

Northeast recycled commodity values hit 5-year lows

March 6, 2026
Northeast recycled commodity values hit 5-year lows Fourth-quarter MRF commodity values in the Northeast reached five-year lows, as they continued to drop but at a decelerating pace, according to Northeast Recycling Council survey data released this week. The average value for all commodities fell to $68.41/ton without residuals, lower by 8.96% on the quarter. This level marks the lowest point since Q4 2020, when the grade hit $60.46. The report includes responses from 18 MRFs representing 12 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. With residuals, average values were at $52.49/ton with residuals, lower by 12.75% – the lowest point since Q3 2020, when the grade reached $40.19. The report also detailed the change in Q4 average values, with For PET, PP and mixed plastics (#3-7), as well as steel cans, the rate of decrease slowed in the quarter, while OCC, aluminum cans and mixed paper continued falling at the same pace as the previous quarter. Average pricing for both natural and color HDPE bales, brown glass containers and all other paper rose in Q4. However, clear glass, green glass and 3-mix glass containers, along with bulky rigids, fell during the period, after rising in Q3. The report points out that recovered glass often is marketed but at a negative value, meaning recipients are paid to take it away. Single stream decreased by 7.87% without residuals and by 9.82% with residuals, while dual stream/source separated materials fell by 10.57% without residuals, and by 18.98% with residuals. Although dual-stream MRFs did not decelerate as much as their single-stream counterparts, they did see a higher average commodity price compared to single stream for both with and without residuals. Residual material cannot be sold and is landfilled. The report also showed the 2024 share of each material at 18 MRFs, with OCC and mixed paper representing nearly one half of incoming volumes. Of the included states, five have deposit return systems for beverage containers, which results in fewer glass bottles, PET bottles and aluminum cans winding up in MRFs there. In addition, MRFs in those states typically generate less revenue from those recyclables, the report said. The report also showed the 2024 share of each material at 18 MRFs, with OCC and mixed paper representing nearly one half of incoming volumes. Of the included states, five have deposit return systems for beverage containers, which results in fewer glass bottles, PET bottles and aluminum cans winding up in MRFs there. In addition, MRFs in those states typically generate less revenue from those recyclables, the report said. Of the three approaches reflected in the report – single stream, dual stream and source separation – single stream is the most common. Read report on CRA's website.

Q4 2025 Northeast U.S. Commodity Values Decelerate in Decline and HDPE Sees Slight Increase

By Megan Fontes • March 5, 2026
NERC’s Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) Commodity Values Survey Report for the period October - December 2025 showed a deceleration in the continued decline in the average commodity prices. The average value of all commodities decreased by 8.96% without residuals to $68.41 and by 12.75% with residuals to $52.49 as compared to last quarter. Single stream decreased by 7.87% without residuals and 9.82% with residuals, while dual stream / source separated decreased by 10.57% without residuals and 18.98% with residuals compared to last quarter. Dual stream MRFs did not decelerate as much as single stream MRFs but did see a higher average commodity price compared to single stream for both with and without residuals. The decrease seen in Steel cans, PET, Polypropylene, and Mixed plastics (#3-7) slowed as compared to last quarter, while the decrease remained consistent in OCC, Aluminum cans, Mixed paper, and Residue. Notably, average values for Natural HDPE, Colored HDPE, All other paper, and Brown glass containers reversed direction from last quarter (where they dropped in value) and saw an increase in value this quarter as compared to last quarter. Clear glass, Green glass, and 3-Mix glass containers, as well as Bulky rigids, reversed direction from last quarter (where they increased in value) and saw a decrease in value this quarter as compared to last quarter.