In 2006, Montana“s mobile glass pulverizer recycled 2,000 tons of waste glass into useful product, overcoming the challenges that glass recycling faces in the state: these is no existing glass facili…
In 2006, Montana“s mobile glass pulverizer recycled 2,000 tons of waste glass into useful product, overcoming the challenges that glass recycling faces in the state: these is no existing glass facility and the population is not large enough to create enough demand to supply a manufacturing facility. Consequently, secondary markets must be created in the state for the crushed glass. To overcome these problems the state has opted for a high quality mobile, pulverizer system which produces a glass cullet that can be safely handled. The cullet resembles natural aggregates like fine sand or gravel and can be used in applications including parking lots, septic fields, garden paths, landscaping, flooring and road material. The Northern Plains Resource Council, located in Billings, uses the cullet in their new “green” building parking lot. Hayfield Subdivision in Helena has used the cullet as septic tank drain field and drain pipe bedding and the Helena YMCA has used the glass cullet for the paths around their community gardens. Montana State University College of Technology Great Falls Campus is using the cullet as flooring for their new building. The Montana Department of Transportation is now allowing use of the cullet in road projects Headwaters Cooperative Recycling in Helena operates the glass pulverizer and Montana Beer and Wine Distributors has donated USD 5,000 towards operating and marketing costs. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality provides assistance with marketing, research and technical assistance. In 2006, the pulverizer processed over 1,600 tons of glass cullet in Boulder and it has just relocated to Butte to process over 400 tons of glass cullet. The pulverizer is scheduled to move to Helena in late January 2007 to process another 400 tons of recycled glass. After Helena, the pulverizer will move to yet another community and provide glass processing services for local end uses.