Joseph Curro

Recycled Glass Processing to Enhance the Quality of End Products

Joseph P. Curro, PE, BCEE, Principal and Senior Solid Waste Engineer, CDM Smith

Reducing glass containers to uniform pieces through crushing and screening is common and in widespread use. However, these processes, although producing a fairly uniform sized product, do not address the ‘fluff’ and adhered label bits inherent in this type of glass processing. By removing the labels completely in a dry process, a clean, dry, uniform sized product, ranging roughly from ‘dust’ to ¼”+ pieces can be produced. In most cases the uses for these products are independent of glass color and, in some cases, the mixed color nature of the product actually enhances its use.

Mr. Curro is a principal engineer with CDM Smith in Boston, Massachusetts. He has more than 50 years of experience in solid waste projects. He has served as the lead design engineer for numerous recycling, mechanical waste processing, landfill, incineration and waste reclamation systems. He has developed and implemented a number of innovative systems for recyclables processing and materials recovery.