Responsible Recycling Osceola

Collage of Responsible Recycling Osceola (RRO) events(JPEG, 297KB)

With support from the Environmental Protection Agency, this 3-year outreach program aims to educate community members on proper recycling practices and focuses on the creative uses and benefits of glass recycling.

Outreach and Education

We travel throughout the county with our glass pulverizer demonstrating a crucial step in the glass recycling process – turning glass, collected from our community, back into sand!

Glass crushing machine named Sandy

We share a passion for helping our community learn and take pride in caring for the environment. Whether it’s through hands-on demonstrations, educational booths, workshops, art contests, or classes, our goal is to encourage responsible recycling and strengthen a sense of community responsibility. 

Schedule an event with us!

Interested in having us visit your school or organization?

Fill out the interest form here

Glass Collection

Our program could not continue without the glass donations from our local community members. Interested in donating your waste glass to our program? Please fill out the short form with a request to be added to our collection email list:

Donate Glass Now

Thank you to our donors!

  • Vintage Vino
  • Cafe Barista
  • Big John’s BBQ
  • Master Gardeners
  • Dagmar L.
  • Donya C. 
  • Sreeni
  • Nicole H. 
  • Dana S.
  • Victoria A.
  • Lorna J.
  • Veronica M.  
  • Em E.
  • Rosa C.

Glass-sand in Action!

Due to the overwhelming popularity of our program, and public interest, this program has grown beyond outreach and education. Check out how the  glass collected within our community is being repurposed locally! More details and updates will be posted here, come back soon to see how things are going.

 

Tree Farm Project 2026

In partnership with our Public Lands and Environment Department, our glass-sand will be coating the floor of our Tree Farm greenhouses. Detering any unwanted weeds, this will save costs on supplies and labor.

Landscaping Projects 2026

In partnership with the Master Gardener’s, Responsible Recycling Osceola is supplying glass-sand for a fun landscaping project to rejuvenate the front entrance garden at Osceola Heritage Park Extension Services!

Planting Experiments 2026

Studies have shown that soil amended with glass-sand is a great planting method! The NeoCity Academy EcoKnights are experimenting this in their very own student-led hydroponics system.

 

Planting Experiments 2025

To commemorate Arbor Day with Valencia College at the Osceola Campus, our glass-sand was used to amend soil in the planting of a Kapok Tree!

Program Accomplishments

Outstanding Public Education & Outreach Award

Honored by the National Recycling Coalition for exceptional leadership in community recycling education and outreach, the Office of Sustainability Team received the Beth Brown Boettner for Outstanding Public Education and Outreach Award at the 2025 National Recycling Coalition Congress in Wichita, Kansas.

 

Glass Waste Diversion Initiative

Successfully diverted thousands of pounds of glass from landfills and reduced contamination in the local recycling stream through a community glass bottle donation program.

 

Recycling & Community Art Contest

Organized a student art competition promoting recycling and community responsibility, with winning artwork featured in program marketing and advertising.

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