Mississippi 2020 Network, Inc.
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Mississippi 2020 Network, Inc.
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In January, Executive Director, Bob Kochtitzky had a big idea. For those of you who know Bob, having a big idea is not an unusual thing - but this was one of those ideas that kept nagging at him until a plan began to form. With the help of Mississippi Board President, Pete Wally of the Institutes of Higher Learning, Mississippi 2020 Board Member, Blue Robinson of Rainbow Whole Foods Cooperative, Mitsy Pittman of Recycle America Alliance, and Mr. Schmidt of Strategic Materials, Bob initiated a Glass Recycling Collection Program in Jackson.
A collection site was established behind the Rainbow Whole Foods building on Old Canton Road. Three large barrels donated by Recycle America Alliance became the official collection receptacles. Pete Walley and Bob Kochtitzky donated their time to transport full containers to the Strategic Materials location in Flowood. When the containers are full, Rainbow Whole Foods contacts Mississippi 2020, and Pete picks up the containers on his way home, returning them the next day on his way to work. And Strategic Materials is happily finding more glass at their Flowood rail depot to rail up to St. Louis for their glass recycling operation. In the past, collection sites had been established in Jackson, but between the cost of the dumpster for collecting the material and the transport of the material to the rail depot, the volume being generated had not been providing enough returns. However, the simple systems set up by Mississippi 2020 is changing this trend and proving recycling can be cost effective. “My goal is to show local investors that the Jackson area can generate enough glass consistently for recycling to justify the purchase of a glass pulverizing system. There is no reason that this resource needs to be shipped up to St. Louis when it can benefit our local economy”, states Bob Kochtitzky. Pulverized glass has many uses on the local level. Some of the end use applications for glass aggregate (pulverized glass) include 30 to 40 mesh size for art glass, 6 to 30 mesh size for sandblasting grit, masonry sand, various sizes for base coarse for raods and side walks, various sizes for drainage control, 1/8” to 3/8” size for various landscaping applications, and sand for use in septic systems. The pulverizer converts the glass into various size grits and sands with no sharp edges. So far trends indicate that people in the Jackson area want to recycle their glass. So far, our efforts to collect glass from one collection point run by volunteers has kept approximately 825 cubic feet of waste out of the landfill. Because of the cost for shipping the glass out of state for processing, glass is no longer collected curbside or at public collection points in Hinds County. When last collected, BFI was having to pay approximately $16 per ton for Strategic Materials to take the material. However, if we can process and sell it locally, these costs can turn into a boost for our local economy and keep even more waste out of our landfills at the same time. Please e-mail Mississippi 2020 for more information on the glass recycling in the Jackson area or to get involved with a recycling program in your locale.
Mississippi 2020 Network, Inc.
About Us:
Our History,
Our Mission,
Board of Directors
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