[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 5, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN RECOGNITION OF RIPPLE GLASS

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                          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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