In May 2026, Turner partnered with Shark Solutions, a Los Angeles-based glass recycling company, to recycle 100% of the demolished glass from a JPMorgan Chase project in Newport Beach. The project pursued LEED certification and maximizing waste diversion rates was a priority. When Sophie Pennetier of Digne Consulting recommended that the two firms connect, the opportunity aligned perfectly.
The result – nearly four tons of glass recycled on a fast-moving tenant improvement project, achieving a 100% diversion rate for all glass removed from the job. Instead of going to landfill, the material will have a second life as fiberglass insulation, sandblasting grit, carpet backing, and other construction products.
Photo by David Hudson with Shark Solutions, courtesy of Turner Construction.
The best part? Recycling building glass is becoming easier than ever
“Just a few years ago, diverting glass from landfill in California was a significant challenge for the GCs and Design Teams I worked with. Thanks to everyone’s efforts on this team, we’ve demonstrated that this is no longer such a challenge,” says Sophie Pennetier of Digne Consulting, noting that even ceramic frit or enamel does not pose an issue during the recycling process.
“In addition to regular plate, tinted glass, and tempered glass, Shark is also able to recycle laminated glass; not only the glass itself, but also the PVB interlayer, which is the plastic sandwiched in between two layers of glass,” says David Hudson of Shark Solutions. That plastic interlayer can be recycled into products such as paints, coatings, adhesives, and carpet backing.
Geographic access to glass recycling facilities is also expanding. Los Angeles-based demolition, hauling, and waste management company IRS Demo has partnered with Shark Solutions to expand glass recycling in Southern California. Shark Solutions has operations in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Beyond California, companies such as Infinite Recycled Technologies (Minnesota, Florida, and New York), Enviro-Corp (British Columbia) and Urban Mining (Connecticut) are making glass recycling accessible to other regions in North America.
What can your project teams do to recycle demolished glass?
- Start conversations before demolition bids go out
“Communication — the one thing that costs us nothing — is the hardest thing to get on a job site. We have to talk to each other. You have to make that plan up front,” says Richard Ludt of IRS Demo. Discussing local recycling capacity and handling requirements with glass recyclers early, then including those requirements in subcontract scopes of work, helps ensure that costs and logistics are captured at bid time. - Understand cost impacts
Because disposal costs are incurred whether glass goes to landfill or to a recycling facility, handling and management fees may be negligible or even cost-saving in the context of overall project costs. On this Turner-led project, early involvement and partnership with Shark Solutions helped make the effort cost-saving. IRS Demo also notes that, as a vertically integrated demolition, hauling, and recycling company, it is generally incentivized to source-separate and recycle glass. However, Shark Solutions cautions against making broad assumptions about cost. “We always have to look at these opportunities on a case-by-case basis. It depends on the complexity of the project, the volume of the project, on the logistics and distance and things of that nature,” says Hudson. Project teams should speak with their local waste hauler or recycler to understand cost implications for their specific project. - Incorporate glass recycling into the logistics plan
Use smaller containers, such as 1- or 4-yard bins, so glass containers don’t take up excessive space on site and are not overloaded. “Personally, I would treat the glass the same way I would treat universal waste. Put a plan in place up front, talk to your demo contractor and make sure they are going to pull glass and source-separate materials. Make sure that you have a way to get it to where it needs to go,” says Ludt. - Understand how to demolish glass safely
Because shattered glass is dangerous, demolition crews need to be trained on safe handling practices. Sandwiching glass with double-sided tape and plastic or using adhesive carpet mask can help keep glass fragments contained when the material is broken. If glass is part of an insulated glass unit, teams may need to place the units on a clean tarp and break them down in a controlled, clean environment to minimize contamination.
Photo by Ankit Rastogi (Turner), courtesy of Turner Construction.
- Train field staff on proper recycling practices
Workers should be trained on source separation and glass bins should be clearly labeled, ideally in both English and Spanish. Crews should never place lunch trash, other worker-related waste, or construction debris into the source-separated glass container. Although plastic protection is acceptable, unnecessary plastic debris should be avoided.
Overall, the Turner project team came away energized by the ease and impact of keeping glass out of the landfill. “Something I’m really excited about is that we now have proof that we can point to and say, ‘Hey, this is doable, we’ve done it,’ when having conversations with project teams,” says Mersy Maradiaga, Regional Sustainability Manager for Turner in Southern California. “This experience made us realize how easy it is, and I’m so thrilled that recycling glass is getting easier in the United States.”
Posted 8/20/26
About the Author
Emi LaFountain is a Sustainability Manager at Turner Construction, focused on standardizing sustainability programs along the West Coast and identifying and implementing policies and standards aimed towards meeting Turner’s ESG goals. Aside from having worked in construction operations, finance, and procurement roles, and she has also held corporate positions as Turner’s Embodied Carbon Program Manager and Jobsite Carbon Program Manager, where she worked to define the contractor’s role in sustainability and operationalize best practices. Emi was a founding member of the Bay Area Sustainable Construction Leaders group and is an active member of the AGC-California Advocacy Group. She holds an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering from Rice University and has a master’s in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge.
