ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — St. Augustine is no longer able to accept glass in its recycling collections, the city announced Thursday.
Utilities Director Todd Grant told the City Commission about the change in a Special Solid Waste Workshop meeting on Monday. The city is now asking recycling customers to place glass in the trash can or find a way to reuse it or reduce consumption, rather than placing glass in the recycling bin.
This includes glass bottles, containers, jars, mirrors, drinking glass and decorative glass, a news release from the city says.
“There is currently no market for glass,” Grant said in the release. “So, upon arrival to the recycling facility, glass is being sent away and disposed of as trash anyways. Yet, the City is still responsible for the cost of hauling and the significant disposal fee of this heavy product.”
Commissioner Barbara Blonder said the effort to reduce consumption is the most important part of the equation.
"If we could really emphasize that reduce component of the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), and get the weight of the glass out of there, I'm all for it," Blonder said at the meeting Monday.
Customers are encouraged to find other ways to reuse their glass. Grant said one local business owner uses wine bottles to line her garden, and private organizations may be collecting glass that people can donate.
Grant said if there is an opportunity for the city to collect glass again as a repurposed commodity, they will, but at this time there is no outlet to dispose or transport glass collected along with recycling.
