I recently received a notice from my HOA about the recycling in my subdivision. The notice clearly stated what can be recycled and what cannot. Listed under the "Items CANNOT be recycled" is "glass of any kind"!
On the
county website, glass is clearly listed as recyclable. Confused about glass recycling, I checked in with HOA management office. The HOA customer service reached out to the recycle service provider to inquire about the service discrepancy. Through her reply, I learned that the county does not accept glass from the recycling truck, as it shatters so easily in the trucks and contaminates the rest of the recycling materials. Once carboard boxes and other recycling materials are exposed to the shards of glass, they are no longer recyclable.
I did not know this. Like many others, my beer and wine consumption at home has gone up somewhat due to the lack of restaurant options. These glass bottles must have contaminated many truck loads of recyclables. With this discovery, my recycling grade has plunged from A to F.
US relies on a mixed recycling system, which allows residents to put all the recyclable material together rather than sorting them into different bins for proper treatment. The mixed recycling method promotes more recycling. However, the results can be lackluster. The nuances that regular residents don't know about, like the glass recycling, can ruin loads of recyclable materials. Much more waste is created unintentionally and sent to landfill as a result.
To properly recycle glass, I have started setting them aside to be dropped off at the local recycle center. Luckily, there is one close by.
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