Glass Packaging Institute

This is the summary front page for the work we are doing with the Glass Packaging Institute. From here you can see and edit the current main activity on this project. All subjects related to GPI start on this page or sub-pages of this page.

Context

• On May 2, 2024, Scott DeFife, President of the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) contacted OnTrackNorthAmerica for help establishing strategically placed clean glass aggregation hubs around the country, in certain places where there is a lot of glass, but not a lot of end-market.
• These facilities would be better off if they were near rail transload
• The assumptions is that the freight system is underutilized.
• Scott DeFife, President, Glass Packaging Institute, sdefife@gpi.org, 703-684-6359

Goals

• We need to have some regional collaboration on recovering glass and moving it to market.

GPI MOVES

• OTNA will commence a IntelliSynthesis question and answer project entitled "IntelliSynthesis GPI Integration Hubs"
• We are thinking that this project on GPI Integration Hubs will be linked with the NAFF work on Freight Transportation Land Use

Opportunity

• GPI can work with OTNA via North American Freight Forums to help GPI identify under-utilized rail infrastructure or property for lease that has access to rail?
• MS invited Scott DeFife to do the following:
  • Review the OnTrackNorthAmerica page on Collaborative Industrial Optimization on the OTNA website.
  • OTNA will GPI's fundamental project and organizational material
  • OTNA will prepare a specific dialogue agenda that enables OTNA to begin laying out a game plan
    • A written record of the entire conversation as the beginning of our collaborative thinking
    • We will have a second conversation to revisit our initial thinking and plan the next steps.
• Brownfields or otherwise underused infrastructure that we could make productive again.

Problems

• It is difficult getting the attention of the Class One railroads
• Sales initiatives inside Class One railroads are not set up to take on coordinating a diverse group of stakeholders for a project of this nature

Process

• Typically GPI members Scott seek to move forward with new ideas and projects on behalf of the industry collectively
• Then when they get to execution of a bigger investment plan – depending on which of them might be involved regionally (due to the location of their plants and the regional nature of glass recycling and supply) they then talk about how to fund the collaboration to build out a specific project in a given area.
• All 5 of GPI manufacturing members who are board level – plus two other smaller plants -  have all expressed the same interest in building more practical aggregation hubs. 
• Ultimately –  how we move forward with actual infrastructure depends on regions and giving each of them a chance to reflect on the initial discussions.

Background Documents

• Memorandum Date: June 2, 2024, To:  Scott DeFife, President, Glass Packaging Institute
• IntelliSynthesis Q&A Round One for GPI Integration Hubs
• IntelliSynthesis Q&A Round Two for GPI Integration Hubs
• IntelliSynthesis Action Document for GPI Integration Hubs