The North American glass container industry worked diligently in 2009 to create more recycling awareness and improve recycled glass collection for bottle-to-bottle recycling, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of raw materials; extending furnace life and meet the industry's 50% recycled content goal by 2013. In the USA there are currently 50 glass container manufacturing plants and 74 facilities that process glass for recycling. The North American glass container industry production was at near capacity for the majority of 2009. Glass container shipments were slightly down, 3.4% - Jan-Sept. As consumers increasingly demand reduced packaging that is also fully recyclable, the glass container industry is responding by expanding its capacity to use less to create the same top quality, 100% pure and recyclable glass bottles and jars.
