Glass Half Full drives economic growth, job creation and environmental innovation by transforming waste into a sustainable resource
St. Bernard Parish just became the epicenter of glass recycling innovation in the United States. Glass Half Full, the nation’s first company to turn recycled glass into coastal restoration materials, has officially opened a cutting-edge, three-acre facility in Chalmette, bringing with it new jobs, private investment, and global recognition. Located on a transformed landfill site along the strategic Paris Road corridor, the facility will process over 300,000 pounds of glass per day and serve as a powerful example of industrial redevelopment in a community on the rise.
“Glass Half Full’s new home in St. Bernard shows the world what’s possible when bold ideas meet the right environment for growth,” said Meaghan McCormack, chief executive officer of St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF). “This is not just a win for economic development, it’s a win for our coast, our community and the country — and a clear signal that St. Bernard is open for business.”
Launched in 2020 by two Tulane University students, Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz, Glass Half Full started as a backyard operation with big dreams: diverting glass from landfills and repurposing it to combat coastal erosion in Louisiana. In 2021, the startup won SBEDF’s Startup St. Bernard pitch competition and was awarded over $100,000 in funding and services. In return, Glass Half Full officially committed to planting roots in the parish.
With strong local backing and multimillion-dollar financial support from Benson Capital Partners and the Meraux Foundation, the new facility is a testament to the parish’s ability to invest in next-generation businesses. In 2021, the National Science Foundation (NSF) also partnered with Glass Half Full and Tulane University to bring together university researchers from the fields of chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, river and coastal engineering, and ecology and evolutionary biology to identify new markets for recycled glass products, determine where recycled glass sand should be used to prevent coastal land loss and ensure that recycled glass sand is safe to use in coastal environments. NSF awarded Tulane University $5.7 million over 3 years to complete the research on coastal restoration.
“This is where our mission becomes reality,” said Franziska Trautmann, co-founder and chief executive officer. “Thanks to the belief and investment of our partners, especially SBEDF, the Meraux Foundation, and Mrs. Benson, we are creating jobs and reshaping how communities think about waste, resilience and opportunity.”
In addition to its processing operations, Glass Half Full has completed two coastal restoration projects in Bayou Bienvenue directly adjacent to the St. Bernard site. The restored marshland project compares the lasting effects of dredged river sand, which was used to build one of the islands, to the recycled glass sand used to create the other island. This pilot project is a blueprint for coastal restoration around the globe. Locally, the islands are already having an impact, reducing storm surge and restoring habitat and wildlife.
Currently, Glass Half Full recycles glass waste from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama – with over 10 million glass bottles saved from landfills to date. As more glass is recycled, Glass Half Full is able to produce more sand and rebuild miles of Louisiana’s beautiful coast.