In February 2012, Ripple Glass started collecting glass bottles in Lawrence. The glass is made into Boulevard Beer bottles and fiberglass insulation.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn

A new glass recycling bin opened to the public on Monday at On the Rocks liquor, 1818 Mass. The bin is one of four that are part of a new glass recycling program run by the city of Lawrence and Kansas City-based Ripple Glass.

photo by: Kevin Anderson

A front loader carries a load of glass bottles that will be dumped into a hopper that will take the bottles through a crushing process at Ripple Glass recycling plant in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Kevin Anderson

A large pile of glass syringes that was declared unusable from the manufacture sits in waiting at Ripple Glass in Kansas City, Mo., where it will get crushed and eventually made into fiberglass insulation.

photo by: Kevin Anderson

Ripple employee Donna Utter points out a machine that shakes and vibrates glass pieces to separate items such as caps and other items as it makes its way through the crushing system.

photo by: Kevin Anderson

Different conveyor belts carry glass pieces along various sections of the recycle process. One belt carries dark brown glass (lower far left) that will be sent back to to Boulevard Brewing to be reused for new beer bottles.

photo by: Kevin Anderson

Finished crushed glass, at right, sits in a display bottle. The final product will be either Boulevard beer bottles, shown, or fiberglass insulation.