Messina’s Catering & Events recently began working with Glass Half Full, a New Orleans-based organization that recycles glass into sand and gravel for a variety of local uses, including coastal restoration.

It’s a meaningful partnership at a time when more local businesses are looking for better ways to manage glass waste. Because glass recycling is not widely included in standard city sanitation services, programs like this offer restaurants, bars, and event-based businesses a practical way to keep bottles out of landfills and put them to better use.

What makes Glass Half Full especially compelling is that the work stays local. After glass is collected and sorted, it is processed at the company’s Louisiana facility, where it is crushed, cleaned, and separated into materials ranging from fine sand to chunky gravel. Those materials can then be used in a number of ways, from new glass products to disaster relief and coastal projects. Their long-term goal is especially meaningful here at home: using recycled glass sand to help restore Louisiana’s eroding shoreline.

At Messina’s, the program is already in place at The MISI and for off-site catering, with plans to expand to additional venues over time. During service, bartenders separate empty liquor, wine, and beer bottles into designated bins. Those bottles are then transferred into larger containers for pickup, which Glass Half Full handles every two weeks.

While the amount varies by season, the program is already helping Messina’s divert a steady volume of glass from its operations, with even more expected during busier months.

This is one more way Messina’s is continuing to build sustainability into everyday operations. In addition to glass recycling, the team is also focused on reducing water usage, being thoughtful about food waste, and incorporating more plant-based disposable products where possible.

“Sustainability is reflected in the many small, intentional choices we make across our operations,” said Stacey Messina. “This partnership is especially meaningful because the process is so brilliant—recycled glass is turned into sand that helps restore our Louisiana coastlands.”

For Messina’s, it’s a practical step, a local partnership, and one more way to support the community and environment that are such an important part of life in South Louisiana.