Despite all the improvement in the waste and recovery processes there are still some challenges:
*Lack of incentive to recycle when inconvenient; opt-in and subscription models lead to low participation
*Rising material recovery facility fees and pressure from the waste management industry have caused some municipalities to remove glass from curbside recycling
*The lack of recycling mandates and high levels of contamination cause a significant portion of materials to be disposed of in landfills.
*Low landfill tip fees for many MRFs (material recovery facilities) incentivize sending glass to the landfill.
*The lack of capacity in certain areas hinders the ability to meet the market demand and reduces the incentive to invest in materials recovery facilities.
*In some regions, strong demand for cullet from other end markets reduces potential supply for glass containers.
*The distance between the sources of and markets for cullet requires long-haul shipping.
*Virgin materials are often cheaper than cullet, sometimes by as much as 20%.