Glassroots

Glassroots reimagines glass waste as a community and environmental asset.

Glassroots is a community-driven nonprofit working at the intersection of recycling, environmental education, and climate resilience. In 2018, only 107 tons of glass were recycled across the entire state of Louisiana. Since opening our first free glass recycling drop-off in fall 2022, we have expanded to 17 drop-offs in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and have helped Glass Half Full recycle over 4,000 tons of glass!

All of the glass we collect is processed locally by Glass Half Full for use in our coastal restoration, green infrastructure, and disaster resilience projects. Past projects include: implementing storm drain filters with CSED in the Lower Ninth Ward, creating a French drain with Common Ground Relief in their tree nursery, and working with Glass Half Full, CRCL, ReCoast, Common Ground Relief, CSED, and many others to restore coastline using native marsh grasses and recycled glass sandbags. We also distribute flood prevention sandbags ahead of major flooding events.

Glassroots also coordinates service-learning opportunities with local K-12 schools and universities to educate the next generation about climate challenges and engage them in climate solutions.