Knauf Insulation, Inc. has been named the Official Glass Recycling Partner of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix and will lead a sustainability initiative that will impact the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend and Nashville’s entertainment districts. 

Knauf Insulation, a leading manufacturer of thermal and acoustical fiberglass insulation for residential, commercial, industrial, OEM and metal building applications, will have a multi-faceted glass recycling initiative kicking off July 1 at participating establishments on Broadway and in Midtown, culminating August 5-7 with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at the Nissan Stadium campus.

"We're thrilled to partner with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix to recycle glass bottles which would otherwise end up in a landfill," said Chris Mahin, Vice President of Sustainability and HSE at Knauf Insulation. "These types of unique recycling opportunities are valuable for Knauf as we continue to seek alternative sources for glass – the main ingredient in our high quality fiberglass insulation.”

For the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, that attracted more than 110,000 guests over three days in last year’s inaugural event, Knauf Insulation will be recycling any glass on the Nissan Stadium campus throughout race weekend.

Knauf Insulation’s efforts will extend to Broadway and Midtown, where most major establishments already have committed to taking part in the recycling efforts. From July 1 through Aug. 8, Knauf Insulation will collect glass from Big Machine Brewery & Distillery, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk and Steakhouse, Luke’s 32 Bridge, Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar, and Losers Bar & Grill on Broadway as well as Winners Bar & Grill and Losers in Midtown. Recycled glass will be picked up from each location and delivered to Knauf’s local recycling partner, Strategic Materials, Inc., daily with the goal of collecting 150,000 glass bottles throughout the month - enough to lap the Nissan Stadium track 230 million times! 

“We are excited that Knauf Insulation has chosen to partner with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix to promote its products as well as its sustainability and recycling message,” states Big Machine Music City Grand Prix CEO, Matt Crews. “We know our hometown of Nashville appreciates Knauf putting its values into action through an impactful program that will take glass out of our landfills and transform them into environmentally friendly building products.”

Knauf Insulation is heavily invested in improving glass recycling rates given that the company uses 500 million pounds of recycled glass in its manufacturing process annually. In addition to diverting 50 tons of recycled glass from landfills every hour, the use of this type of recyclable has additional environmental benefits including lowering the amount of energy necessary for manufacturing and decreasing the amount of raw minerals needed to be mined.