Montana Mobile Glass Pulverizer is a Crushing Success

Last year Montana’s mobile glass pulverizer recycled 2,000 tons
of waste glass into useful product, overcoming the challenges that face
glass recycling in this state.

Recycling glass is difficult in Montana because there is no existing
glass facility located in the state nor is the population large enough
to create enough demand to supply a manufacturing facility. Therefore,
secondary markets must be created in the state for the crushed glass,
also known as glass cullet.

The best way to overcome the dual obstacles of long distances to markets
and low quantities of glass, is to use a high quality mobile, pulverizer
system. The mobile pulverizer produces a glass cullet that can be safely
handled without concern of cuts or abrasions. The cullet resembles
natural aggregates like fine sand or gravel and can replace stone in
many applications. Some of the uses of this versatile and attractive
product in area communities have been parking lots, septic fields,
garden paths, landscaping, flooring and road material.

The Northern Plains Resource Council, located in Billings, has placed
the cullet in their new "green" building parking lot. Hayfield
Subdivision in Helena has used the cullet as septic tank drain field and
drain pipe bedding and the Helena YMCA has used the glass cullet for the
paths around their community gardens. Montana State University College
of Technology Great Falls Campus is using the cullet as flooring for
their new building. The Montana Department of Transportation is now
allowing use of the cullet in road projects

Headwaters Cooperative Recycling in Helena operates the glass pulverizer
and Montana Beer and Wine Distributors has donated $5,000 toward
operating and marketing expenses. The Montana Department of
Environmental Quality provides assistance with marketing, research and
technical assistance. Last year, the pulverizer processed over 1,600
tons of glass cullet in Boulder and it has just relocated to Butte to
process over 400 tons of glass cullet. The pulverizer is scheduled to
move to Helena in late January to process another 400 tons of recycled
glass. After Helena, the pulverizer will move to yet another community
and provide glass processing services for local end uses.

Consumers can purchase the cullet for landscaping at Helena Sand and
Gravel and at the Helena Restore. For more information, contact Dusti
Johnson at the DEQ at 406-841-5253 or [email protected] or Bill Crane at
Headwaters Cooperative Recycling at 406-443-3101 or
[email protected].