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USVI Glass Recovery FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) • What is the main purpose of this project? The USVI Glass Recovery project aims to reduce glass waste entering the USVI’s landfills and serve as the catalyst to jumpstart other recycling and re-use programs throughout the territory. • What types of glass can the GL-Sand machine crush? The GL-Sand machine can only crush glass beverage bottles. This can include beer bottles, wine bottles (once the metal ring around the neck of the bottle is removed), non-alcoholic beverages packaged in glass bottles, and other spirit or rum bottles as long as they are cylindrical in shape, not round. • Where will the glass waste come from? Our team will be working with organizers of beach cleanups to collect glass improperly disposed of on roadsides and coastal areas and glass bottles discarded by restaurants, hotels, and residents. • Can broken glass be crushed by the GL-Sand machine? It should be avoided as it will increase the likelihood that the machine encounters a jam. • Does my glass waste need to be sorted? It would tremendously expedite the crushing process. Bottles should be sorted by color which includes green, brown, clear, and blue. While mixing of glass colors will not affect the quality of the end product, this is more for keeping colors separated for any artistic use(s) of the end product. • How should glass waste be provided? Any glass beverage bottles should be sorted prior to drop-off and can be placed in a plastic bag or a cardboard box so long as the provided glass is not broken and all caps and rings are removed. • What is the end product? The GL-Sand machine crushes glass beverage bottles into sand that is categorized into 5 different grain sizes, each produced at differing ratios which include: 1) >3.4mm @ 10%, 2) 3.4mm – 1.7mm @ 25%, 3) 1.7mm – 1.1mm @ 20%, 4) 1.1mm – 0.4mm @ 30%, 5) <0.4mm @ 15%. • Is the end product safe to handle? Yes, the end product is safe to handle. • What will the end product be used for? The end product will be used primarily for creating sandbags that will be distributed prior to hurricane season. Any excess sand or smaller glass fragments can be used for other purposes such as an aggregate for the mixing of concrete and asphalt, sandblasting, and sidewalks for example. None of the crushed glass will be used for beach nourishment purposes. • How should I dispose of sandbags created from crushed glass? Any sand created from crushed glass and used for sandbags should be disposed of at the nearest dumpster as you would any other type of trash. • What voltage is required to operate the GL-Sand machine? 220 Voltage; outlet does require some modification to make compatible with standard U.S. outlets. For any additional questions or concerns, feel free to contact Howard Forbes Jr. (St. Thomas Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service Coordinator) @ howard.forbes@live.uvi.edu or 340-693- 1672.