Recycle Right, Danville!

Recently, Republic Services has noticed an uptick in improper recycling habits among the citizens of Danville. Uh, oh! Let's make sure we're recycling right here in Boyle County. Please follow the guidelines below and check Republic Services schedule ahead of the holidays for changes!

A note about why glass is not accepted from Boyle County Solid Waste/Recycling Director, Angela Muncy: 

Boyle County Recycling is a “single-stream” recycling center which means that plastic, paper, cans, etc. are co-mingled in a single bin for pickup and transport to the center.  It is convenient for households, who can toss all their recyclables in one place, and for us, who can pick them up or have them hauled in. However, while plastic, paper and cans are unlikely to be damaged in the collection process, glass is fragile and often shatters in the process, becoming difficult to sort and contaminating other recyclables.

In addition, single-stream recycling systems encourage “wish-cycling” where consumers throw their non-recyclable products like light bulbs, Styrofoam, plastic bags, etc. into their bins figuring it’s better to over-recycle than to throw away something that is recyclable.  

Why is there no market for recycling glass in single-stream recycling?

Glass breaks and contaminates other recyclables making them unusable (less revenue) or requires more cleaning and sorting (add cost, less profit).  

It will cost between $70-$90 to process a ton (3,000-4,000 bottles/jars) of glass.  Then it can be sold for about $8-$10 a ton.

Why has the market for glass changed?

Because mandatory glass recycling programs in the 1980’s flooded the market with recyclable glass, causing prices to drop.  Over the past two (2) decades glass has also been replaced by aluminum and plastic for some products, leading to less demand.

Disadvantages of Glass Recycling ‍

• Not all glass can be recycled
• High costs associated with glass recycling
• glass is a contaminant of other recyclables
• broken glass is difficult to sort
• creates a hazardous situation for workers

Glass for recycling must be sorted by color:  Clear, green, and amber.  Caps, labels must be removed as well.  Must be rinsed as well.

Many “glass items” cannot be recycled including frosted glass, dishes (ex. Pyrex), light bulbs, figurines, just to name a few.

Please refrain from putting glass in your recycling bins.

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