Ms. Green Recycling and Shredding Services in Cadillac now provides glass recycling services by pulverization.
This type of glass recycling results in small pieces of smooth-edged glass. It is safe to handle and can be used as landscaping material in place of sand or gravel, decorative landscaping and as a water filtration medium.
The pieces of glass can also be made into new bottles, jars or other containers. The size of the pulverized glass results in a lower melting temperature, which speeds up the melting process and reduces carbon emissions.
25-pound bags of recycled glass are expected to be sold soon and sandbags made from the glass are available for purchase.
Any color of glass can be recycled in this way, making art a common way of repurposing the glass. Pictures created with the different colored glass, decorated picture frames and suncatchers are a few of the most popular creations.
Ms. Greens facility has provided a place for Wexford, northern Osceola and southern Missaukee counties to recycle since 2008. They have offered recycling services for cardboard, paper, newspapers and magazines, #1; #2; and #3 plastics, metal, aluminum and cans ever since.
In 2022, the Ms. Green facility was awarded a grant of $10,000 for the purchase of their glass pulverizer. The grant was part of the Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy recycling grant.
According to Rita Meech, co-owner of the facility, the grant did not cover the full cost of the glass pulverizer and there is no monetary profit associated with providing the glass recycling service.
“People just wanted us to do it,” says Meech.
Within 20 miles of Cadillac there are three options for glass recycling: the Missaukee County Recycling Center, Ms. Green Recycling and Shredding and the Walmart/Meijer bottle returns.
Ms. Green charges $2 for recycling drop-off of any size and material, membership is also available for $12 per month for bi-weekly pick-up or $7 a month for pick-up service once a month. All colors of glass are accepted, and no sorting is necessary for any recycling drop off or pick-up service.
The Missaukee County Recycling Center accepts glass bottles, acceptable colors are not specified. The cost for county services is not listed.
According to Climate of our Future, a team of environmental activists, glass is more difficult to recycle because of its weight and fragility. The weight raises transportation costs and if the glass breaks before it is being crushed in the recycling machine, the machine could break.
Climate for our Future thinks recycling glass is worth it though. Glass is 100% recyclable and does not degrade in quality after being recycled. Glass also does not release any harmful chemicals during the recycling process.
Recycling glass through pulverization benefits the environment in many ways, according to BottleCycler- a company offering in home glass crushing machines. The crushed pieces of glass have lower melting points, reducing energy consumption for reuse. Lower carbon emissions are a result of reduced energy consumption.
Ms. Green has been operating from what used to be the Wexford County Recycling facility. Meech purchased the building in 2018. Previously, Ms. Green’s services ran out of a PADNOS building.
