Ripple Glass is launching a curbside glass pick-up program!
Over the past 12 years, Ripple Glass has been dedicated to keeping glass out of the trash, by making glass recycling work. We started with 60 free, public glass drop-off locations in 2009 and have since added new purple bins each year to make 100+ locations across the KC Metro. In 2010, we expanded outside of the KC Metro and have since partnered with over 100 communities across nine states to collect glass. In 2018, we began collecting glass from businesses and multi-family homes through our commercial program.
Throughout various collection methods, you have helped us recycle over 1 billion bottles! However, while we took the glass recycling rate in Kansas City from 3% to 20%, we have been hovering over that number for quite some time. Now it’s time to divert even more glass from the trash and to do that, we need to further expand our glass collection programs. We want to make glass recycling more convenient than ever.
Kansas City, we are ready to kick glass to the curb!
Yes, that’s right. We’re thrilled to announce that we are expanding our glass collection to include a curbside pick-up program, allowing residents of participating cities to have their glass picked up directly from their curb.
Our very first curbside glass pick-up pilot program is starting in Roeland Park, Kansas! The City of Roeland Park has partnered with us to provide the service to its residents. The current pilot zone includes Roeland Park residents whose trash, recycling, and yard waste falls on Tuesdays. We will drop off purple totes for residents to separate and collect their glass, and the first pick-up will be Tuesday, October 5th.
The intent of the pilot is to determine if there is enough interest in curbside glass recycling to roll out the program citywide. The pilot will end in March 2022 and at that time, the program will be evaluated by the city to determine if it will continue citywide.
At this time, we are partnering with municipalities to offer curbside glass pick-up. We are excited to expand this opportunity to other cities, but here is where we need your help! If you want glass picked up at your curb, please reach out to your city officials to express your interest. We’d love to start this program in as many cities across the KC Metro as possible. Let’s give glass a second chance!
Curbside Glass Pick-up FAQs
How can I get curbside glass pick-up in my neighborhood?
Currently, we are only offering the program to municipalities, rather than single household sign-ups. We recommend reaching out to your city officials to share your interest in having glass picked up from your curb. Then, fill out this form on our website so we can keep you updated.
Will the glass be picked up as a part of my mixed curbside recycling?
No. Glass is not accepted in mixed curbside recycling programs throughout the KC Metro. As a part of the curbside glass pick-up program, glass will be collected and picked up from a separate bin.
What types of glass are accepted as a part of the program?
You can find a full list of accepted and not accepted items linked here.
Is my purple Ripple Glass bin going away?
All 100+ drop-off bins are here to stay! Your regular glass recycling bins will not be going away and are always an option to drop off your glass. Find all locations linked here.
How do I know if I am a part of the Roeland Park pilot program?
Currently, you are a part of the pilot program if you are a resident of Roeland Park whose trash, recycling, and yard-waste pick-up day is TUESDAY. Your purple totes will be dropped off on Tuesday, September 28th and your first pick-up will be Tuesday, October 5th.
If I am a resident of Roeland Park, how can I get more information about the pilot?
You can find more information on the Roeland Park website linked here or please reach out to Erin Winn, Assistant City Administrator at 913-722-2600.
What happens to the glass after it’s picked up?
After the glass is picked up, it is brought to the Ripple Glass processing facility in Kansas City where it is cleaned, sorted by color, crushed, and sized to meet the needs of its end-users. Specifically, the brown (or amber) glass is separated out, broken down into 2-inch pieces, and sent to a bottle manufacturer to be re-melted into new beer bottles! The other clear and colored glass is crushed down into a coarse sand-like consistency and sent just across the state line to a fiberglass insulation manufacturer in Kansas City, Kansas where they use it to make fiberglass insulation. Check out this video to learn more!