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Maker's Mark announces new upcycling initiative to help environment

Officials say their new program "Glass to Garden" will use a pulverizer to crush old bottles into sand-like substance that will have environmental benefits.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After enjoying your Maker’s Mark bourbon, the company says do not throw away the bottles, instead, turn them into something new.

The company has launched a pilot initiative called, “Glass to Garden.”

During Maker’s Mark tasting events at select Kroger and Liquor Barn locations this fall, you can bring empty glass bottles of any kind to see them be crushed into what’s known as recovered crushed glass.

The material is finer and safer than sand.

It will then be donated to Louisville Grows and Lexington’s Seedleaf – two organizations that run urban community gardens.

“We’ve been using the glass crushers at our distillery in Loretto for more than a year now,” said Kim Harmon, Director of Safety and Sustainability at Maker’s Mark Distillery. “Now we’re excited to expand this best practice into the community to broaden the environmental benefit and help educate the public on glass recycling and upcycling.”

Credit: Maker's Mark
A pathway filled with crushed glass at the Maker's Mark facility.

Maker’s Mark said by pulverizing the glass, it lessens the carbon footprint of transporting unpulverized glass to a recycler or pulverizer.

For those interested in taking their empty Maker’s Mark bottles to be pulverized, the pulverizers will be available at the following locations through Nov. 19:

Kroger Wine and Spirits 

(Oct. 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17 – from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.)

Prospect – 5929 Timber Ridge Drive

Middletown – 12501 Shelbyville Road

McMahan Plaza – 3909 Breckenridge Lane

Valley Station – 10645 Dixie Highway

Shelbyville – 311 Boone Station Road

Liquor Barn

(Oct. 22, 29; Nov. 5, 12, 19 – from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

Middletown – 13401 Shelbyville Road

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