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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF RIPPLE GLASS
______
HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate
the tenth anniversary of Ripple Glass. For a decade, Ripple Glass has
led the way in efficient glass recycling and served as champions in the
implementation of their streamlined framework in cities throughout the
Midwest. I am proud to have such an innovative and environmentally
conscious company in Missouri's Fifth Congressional District.
Upon discovering that Kansas Citians threw away nearly 150 million
pounds of perfectly good glass, including 10 million empty bottles from
Kansas City's very own Boulevard Brewing Company, the individuals at
Boulevard Brewing realized that something must be done to prevent glass
from making its way to the landfill. Area businesses use nearly 200
million pounds of recycled glass every year, but local recycling was
not occurring due to a lack of nearby facilities to process intake.
Tired of contributing to a mounting problem, the individuals at
Boulevard Brewing Company, with the support of local companies and
community organizations, sought a solution and founded Ripple Glass in
2009.
Ripple established a collection system and state-of-the-art
processing plant that operated efficiently. The company began by
placing its trademark purple collection bins in sixty locations across
the Kansas City metropolitan area, where glass would be collected
before being transported to the processing plant to be cleaned, dried,
sized, sorted, and screened. This processing plant provides furnace-
ready cullet-crushed, recycled glass to local companies in the region
that utilize the converted, recycled glass for fiberglass insulation.
This process saves enormous amounts of energy and dramatically lowers
emissions. Ripple Glass also exports recycled amber glass to be turned
back into glass bottles, including those used by Boulevard Brewing.
The prominent purple Ripple Glass bins can be found across Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The glass collected from these bins
all comes back to the Kansas City facility for processing, helping over
eighty other communities keep glass out of landfills--truly
exemplifying the `ripple effect'.
Moreover, Ripple Glass has recently launched a collection service for
bars, restaurants, and other commercial institutions, allowing them to
further pursue their mission to provide a comprehensive glass recycling
system in Kansas City and beyond. By tapping into the local
marketplace, Ripple Glass has found a way to close the loop, protect
the environment, support area businesses, and even make homes more
energy efficient. Prior to Ripple Glass operations in Kansas City,
approximately 80,000 tons of container glass were consumed each year
with only five percent being recycled. Now, through Ripple Glass'
initiatives, nearly twenty percent of the community's glass is recycled
and almost 200,000 tons of glass is diverted out of landfills across
the region.
Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Ripple Glass for a
decade of service to the greater Kansas City area and beyond. Let us
join in recognizing the company's unremitting commitment towards
sustainability and ensuring glass recycling is available to communities
across the Midwest.
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