In what was hailed as a first for the motor industry, a renowned vehicle brand has partnered with The Glass Recycling Company to facilitate the placement of glass banks at all its dealerships countrywide.

The reuse and recycling of raw, process and operating materials during the manufacturing of vehicles is standard practice at Chrysler LLC on all its product lines. It was therefore a natural progression for Chrysler SA’s Jeep brand to form an association with The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC) on the nationwide rollout of glass recycling banks. According to the CEO of TGRC, Shabeer Jhetam, 40% of glass in South Africa is currently recycled and exceptional growth has been experienced compared to the 2004/2005 rate, prior to the establishment of TGRC, where just 18% of all glass containers produced annually was being retrieved for recycling in the country. “We still have a long way to go,” he says. “These glass banks, along with the support of Jeep’s customers, will help us to reduce our collective carbon footprint and preserve our nation for future generations.”

Customers visiting the dealerships will be offered a glass recycling bag, a fridge magnet and informative leaflet – small items that will help motivate and inspire South Africans to protect the planet by recycling their glass waste. Guy Franken, group head: marketing and corporate affairs at Chrysler SA and Fiat Group Automotive SA, anticipates that the glass recycling initiatives will be a success. “Jeep has a global ‘Tread Lightly!’ programme that dovetails well with this local recycling endeavour, and we expect to see a vast amount of support for this campaign.”

The placement of the recycling banks was placed in July.

Glass facts

Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled infinitely without compromising its quality, purity and clarity

The energy saving from recycling one glass bottle can run a 20 watt energy-saving (CFL) light bulb for five hours

Making one new glass bottle from recycled glass generates 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials

TGRC is not involved with the physical recycling of glass, but rather promotes and increases the recovery of waste glass for recycling by creating awareness about the importance of protecting the environment