LONG ISLAND CITY, NY – With most glass recyclables still being dumped in landfills because so few facilities accept one of the most common waste products that could be reused, Astoria, NY Native George Valiotis, CEO of Pace Glass here, has been making it work at a small plant in Jersey City and now is building the world’s biggest glass-recycling plant in Andover, NJ. The first phase of the $90 million, 250,000-square-foot facility is expected to open next year.

He earlier told Crain’s New York Business that, “I noticed the industry was having problems. A concrete subcontractor we used had experience in recycling in Europe, and he convinced me glass was recoverable. I saw an opportunity. If these haulers were having trouble recycling it, I would have an easier time getting them to pay us to take it.” Talk about broken glass.