NEW CASTLE, Del. (CBS) – Goodwill of Delaware employees have unveiled a new glass crusher machine designed to provide sustainable solutions to excess glass waste and a growing global sand shortage.
The crusher machine will convert donated glass deemed unsaleable into usable sand. The machine will be one of three in the region, with others arriving at Goodwill of the Chesapeake in Baltimore and the Goodwill of Greater Washington DC this summer.
According to the nonprofit Recycle Across America, an estimated 28 billion glass bottles and jars end up in landfills every year. Despite glass being fully recyclable, only 33% of glass goes to recycling facilities, according to the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council. Turning unsellable glass into usable sand is a two-pronged approach to sustainability that Goodwill Industries hopes to be at the forefront of.
Goodwill industries
“This initiative represents a significant step forward in our commitment to environmental stewardship and economic development. Training more than 1,500 people in new skills is a testament to our belief in the potential of every person to contribute positively to society,” says Colleen Morrone, CEO of Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County said in a statement.
According to a 2022 United Nations report, sand is the second most consumed resource on Earth, after water. The demand for sand used in the construction and manufacturing industries is expected to increase by 45% over the next 40 years.
Funding for the machines, training, community education and employment programs was funded by a three-year grant from the Truist Charitable Fund.
