Glass container recycling is a domestic affair, but the average consumer could easily think otherwise given the recent push to cut this material from dozens of curbside programs around the U.S. post-National Sword.

Some of the waste and recycling industry’s largest service providers have been looking for ways to drop glass for years.

While it’s one of the most recyclable commodities in the average curbside bin, glass is constrained by the economic realities of needing more local end markets due to transport logistics and margins for MRF operators are often thinner. As prices rise for recycling service in many parts of the country, due to the recent international commodity shake-up, the narrative from some of the industry’s largest players is that glass may not be worth the trouble.

Now, with the recent announcement of a new president, the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) hopes to change that. Scott DeFife’s previous experience at the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and National Restaurant Association, as well on Capitol Hill, is seen as the right fit for a material looking to reframe the conversation. Waste Dive spoke with DeFife in September to learn more about his plans for the new job.