Glass Bottle Reduction Program

beer can and draftBars and restaurants with a Class E Retail Beer by the Drink license that demonstrate 100% of their sales of High Volume Domestic Beers (HVDBs) in aluminum or draft can receive a 50% reduction in their next year's beer license renewal fee. Bars and restaurants with 50-99% of their sales can receive a 25% reduction. Participating bars and restaurants must:

  1. Be compliant with the Commercial Recycling Ordinance.
  2. Complete the Glass Bottle Reduction Program form.
  3. Submit invoices from beverage distributors or point-of-sale report that details these sales for the previous 12-month period. Documentation must include where it was sold by glass, aluminum, or draft.

The deadline for participation in the 2024 Glass Bottle Reduction Program was MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2023.

How?

  • Determine your five top-selling beers.
  • Demonstrate that your five top-selling beers are sold by draft or aluminum can by providing documentation with point-of-sale reports or delivery invoices clearly showing 12 months of sales.
  • Complete the Glass Bottle Reduction Program Reporting Form.
  • Receive a 50% reduction on your next year's Class E Retail Beer by the Drink license renewal for 100% sales of your five beers or a 25% reduction for 50-99% sales of your top five beers by aluminum cans and/or by draft.

Why?Trash on sidewalks

  • Glass bottles from bars were identified as a hazard in the 2017 Downtown Health and Safety study.
  • Piles of bagged glass pose a trip-fall hazard to patrons and emergency responders during emergency exits, and to pedestrians during non-emergencies.
  • Cut bags lead to foul-smelling liquid leaking onto sidewalks and inside businesses
  • Fragments of glass litter sidewalks and roadways, posing a cut hazard to pedestrians and pets.
  • Last two Solid Waste injuries downtown were due to glass.
  • Glass devalues the recycling stream, increasing Solid Waste operational costs. Glass causes $25,000 in maintenance issues each year and is costly to recycle. Aluminum is the highest valued recyclable.
  • A full glass beverage bottle outweighs aluminum nearly 2:1. 200 empty aluminum cans weigh about 6.6 lbs compared with 75 lbs for 200 beer bottles. That's a lot of weight for staff to carry.

More Details

  • Only available to bars and restaurants with a Class E Retail Beer by the Drink license and are compliant with the Commercial Recycling Ordinance.
  • Spot checks will be performed by Solid Waste staff and the Fire Marshal’s office.
  • Bar owners and distributors agree that the cost difference between glass and aluminum is negligible.
  • Bars and restaurants that have already switched to aluminum and/or draft for their HVDBs are still eligible for this program.

Print the Glass Reduction Program Application here.

Read the full SW-023 Policy here.

For more information or questions, contact the Commercial Recycling Specialist at 706-613-3501, ext. 7873 or email abigail.sawyer@accgov.com.