Northeast Glass Recycling Data Highlights Opportunities to Increase Recovery and Circularity

Waste Advantage • July 2, 2026

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) has released the Northeast Flow of Glass Report, a regional analysis examining glass container generation, collection, recycling, disposal, policies, and end markets across the eleven Northeast states. Building on NERC’s previous research into glass recovery, processing, and end markets, the report provides a comprehensive snapshot of how glass moves through the Northeast materials management system and identifies opportunities to strengthen glass recycling through policy, infrastructure investment, and market development.


Key Findings from the Northeast Flow of Glass Report

  • Vermont (79.9%) and Connecticut (77.0%) recycled the highest share of glass containers relative to total glass container waste generated.
  • Connecticut led the region in per capita glass collection at 65.8 pounds per resident.
  • New York collected the greatest total tonnage of glass containers for recycling at 281,065 tons annually.
  • Five Northeast states operate deposit return systems that include glass beverage containers.
  • All Northeast states provide residents access to curbside and/or drop-off recycling programs.
  • Reporting methodologies vary significantly among states, affecting direct comparisons of recycling performance.
  • Recycled glass supports multiple end markets, including new containers, fiberglass, concrete applications, and aggregate products.


“Glass is one of the few packaging materials that can be recycled repeatedly with minimal loss of quality,” said Megan Schulz-Fontes, Executive Director of NERC. “The data show that strong collection systems and supportive policies can significantly increase glass recovery and create valuable feedstock for manufacturers.”


Among the report’s key findings, Vermont and Connecticut achieved the highest rates of glass container recovery relative to total glass container waste generated, recycling an estimated 79.9% and 77.0%, respectively. Both states operate deposit return systems that include glass beverage containers and ranked among the region’s leaders in per capita glass collection.

“Glass bottles and jars have been banned from the trash in Vermont since 2015 and we have had a Bottle Bill since the 1970s,” said Matt Chapman, Director, Vermont DEC Waste Management and Prevention Division. “We’re glad to see that our glass container recovery rate reflects Vermonters’ commitment to recycling.”


The report found that New York collected the largest total tonnage of glass containers for recycling at more than 281,000 tons annually, followed by New Jersey at approximately 197,000 tons. The findings demonstrate that opportunities exist across the region to increase glass recovery through improved collection systems, stronger processing infrastructure, and continued end-market development.


The analysis also revealed substantial variation in state reporting methodologies, recycling requirements, and collection systems. While all Northeast states provide residents with access to curbside and/or drop-off recycling programs, collection models differ considerably. Five states operate deposit return systems, several offer source-separated glass drop-off programs, and Pennsylvania is the only state identified as providing source-separated curbside glass collection in select communities.


These differences present challenges when comparing data across states and highlight the need for continued efforts to improve reporting consistency and transparency. The report notes that recycled glass serves a growing number of end markets, including new glass containers, fiberglass insulation, pozzolan for concrete, foam glass aggregate, and other construction applications. Many of these markets require high-quality glass cullet with low contamination levels, making effective collection and processing systems essential.


Although glass is heavier than many alternative packaging materials and can be more transportation-intensive when moved long distances, increasing local and regional collection, cleaning, and processing capacity can improve environmental outcomes. Recycled glass can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing by replacing virgin raw materials and supporting a more circular economy.


The findings suggest that strategic investments in collection systems, processing infrastructure, and end-market development could increase glass recovery rates throughout the Northeast while supporting resource conservation, economic development, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.


The Northeast Flow of Glass Report was developed by NERC’s Glass Committee with support from state agencies, industry partners, and stakeholders across the region. The report examines consumer glass containers, including food and beverage bottles and jars, as well as non-food glass containers.


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By Keith Loria | Resource Recycling • October 30, 2026
Recycled commodity values at Northeast MRFs increased for the second consecutive quarter as Q2 2026 figures show gains across most materials outweighed a 61% drop in PET, according to the Northeast Recycling Council. In the latest report, average blended values reached $93.03/ton without residuals, up 11.1% from Q1. Including residuals, the value climbed 15.24% to $76.37/ton, NERC said. The gains extended a recovery from Q4 2025, when average values fell to five-year lows of $68.41/ton without residuals and $52.49/ton with them. Values rebounded 22.37% and 26.26%, respectively, in Q1 2026 , though the latest increases came at a slower pace. That late-2025 trough followed declines in OCC, mixed paper, aluminum cans and several plastics grades. Natural and color HDPE were among the exceptions, posting gains during Q4. The new results therefore show a broader recovery in commodity pricing, though PET has continued moving lower through the first half of 2026. PET averaged $40.48/ton in Q2, with reported prices ranging from $8.47 to $70. The resin also declined in Q1, when most other commodities began recovering. Other plastics posted substantial increases. Color HDPE rose 122% to $293.63/ton, while natural HDPE increased 10% to $1,471.31/ton. Polypropylene climbed 72% to $345.37/ton, and mixed plastics Nos. 3-7 advanced 39% to $186.52/ton. OCC increased 17% to $99.21/ton, while mixed paper fell 5% to $45.57/ton. Aluminum cans gained 5% to $2,171.29/ton, and steel cans rose 4% to $221.29/ton. Glass remained mixed. Clear and green container prices declined, brown glass held steady, and three-mix glass carried a negative average value of $37.71/ton, meaning MRFs paid to move the material. The quarterly survey collected commodity pricing from 19 MRFs across 12 states. Two facilities were excluded from the blended average because they marketed insufficient material during Q2 to provide a representative comparison. That calculation included 13 single-stream and four dual-stream or source-separated facilities. Single-stream values rose 12.3% to $91.28/ton without residuals and 11.37% to $74.74/ton with residuals. Dual-stream and source-separated values increased 8.04% to $98.65/ton without residuals and 28.33% to $81.62/ton with residuals, remaining above single-stream values on both measures. Residuals are incoming materials that cannot be marketed and require disposal. The measure without residuals reflects a ton of marketed recyclables; the measure including residuals accounts for managing unmarketable material in each ton processed. Disposal costs increased during Q2, although facilities may calculate those costs differently, NERC noted. The report covers Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Collection systems and state policies affect which materials reach participating facilities. Beverage container deposit programs, for example, divert some glass bottles, PET bottles and aluminum cans away from MRFs, reducing potential revenue from those materials. Single-stream collection remains the most common approach represented in the survey. NERC cautioned that differences in collection programs, market access and operating conditions limit how the regional averages can be applied locally. “This data is not intended to serve as a price guide for MRF contracts,” the organization said. Read on Resource Recycling.

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By Megan Fontes • October 29, 2026
NERC’s Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) Commodity Values Survey Report for April – June 2026 reflects the continuing rise of commodity values across the Northeast after several quarters of decline. Dual stream/source-separated MRFs continued to report higher average commodity values than single stream MRFs. The average blended commodity value increased by 11.1% to $93.03 per ton without residuals and by 15.24% to $76.37 per ton with residuals in Q2 2026 compared to Q1 2026. Single stream values increased by 12.3% to $91.28 per ton without residuals and by 11.37% to $74.74 per ton with residuals. Dual stream values increased by 8.04% to $98.65 per ton without residuals and by 28.33% to $81.62 per ton with residuals.