Infinite Recycled Technologies (IRT) has advanced circular materials recovery through collaborations with the National Glass Association (NGA) and the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), including a funded study on end-of-life glass and aluminium recycling from a parking garage demolition in Rochester, Minnesota, which documented energy savings and emissions reductions.
IRT, an NGA member, also executed a real-world glass recycling pilot at GlassBuild America 2025 in Orlando, diverting over 28,000 pounds of scrap glass from landfills.
As part of the study, IRT teamed up with building ownership in Rochester, Minnesota, to manage the removal and recycling of glass and aluminum components from a parking garage scheduled for demolition.
The project served as a working model for coordinated recovery logistics, demonstrating how owners can divert high-volume building materials from landfills while reducing both demolition waste and embodied carbon footprints.
Glass was central to Infinite Recycled Technologies’ (IRT) research and demonstrations, including the Rochester parking garage study.
It can be recycled indefinitely without quality loss, making it vital for circular economy goals in construction.
Industry data confirms that using one metric tonne of recycled glass cullet avoids approximately 400–600 kg of CO₂-e emissions compared to virgin materials.
Saint-Gobain figures show each tonne of cullet saves about 1.2 tonnes of raw materials and reduces melting energy by roughly 30 per cent at high substitution rates.
IRT showcased the practical potential of these benefits through an ambitious recycling initiative at the 2025 GlassBuild America trade show in Orlando, Florida.
In partnership with NGA, Freeman, and the Orange County Convention Center, IRT implemented a venue-wide collection program designed to capture glass waste generated during event construction and teardown.
By the event’s conclusion, the program had recovered 12.96 tonnes of glass that would otherwise have been sent to landfill.
The collected material was transported to IRT’s South Florida processing facility, where it was sorted and recycled into new glass products.
Beyond one-off events, IRT has been scaling up architectural glass recycling through its regional programs.
In 2025, the company’s New York City initiative diverted an estimated 725 tonnes of architectural and flat glass from landfills.
The recovered glass was collected from around 20 retrofit and repositioning projects, illustrating strong demand from property owners aiming to meet sustainability targets and reduce waste streams.
IRT’s services encompass the collection and processing of all major architectural glass types, including laminated, insulated, mirrored, coated, and monolithic products, providing tailored recycling solutions for diverse building specifications.
The collaboration between IRT, NGA, AEC, and recycling partners underscores growing industry consensus that architectural glass recycling is both feasible and scalable when supported by coordinated logistics and shared design standards.
These efforts demonstrate how the building sector can close material loops, reduce embodied emissions, and conserve energy resources through practical recycling infrastructure.
As momentum builds, IRT’s projects represent a model for integrating recycling into every stage of a building’s life cycle — from construction through deconstruction.
