Marty's Journey
Marty's Message
Kindness During Crisis
Sparkt Bridges
Recycling Revolution: No More Glass in the Bin
Some recyclers are no longer taking glass, and soon pretty much all of them will ban it. We explain why, and what you should do if you want to keep recycling your glass.
Anne Linaberger
01/24/2019, 05:17PM EST
For a generation, we've been putting glass jars and bottles in our recycling bins. In fact, glass is probably the most recycIable material in our household trash.
Which is why we were surprised to learn that many recyclers are no longer accepting glass in single-stream recycling bins (that's where you throw everything that's not trash into one recycling container). It's already happening in Pittsburgh's South Hills neighborhoods, and experts say this ban on glass in recycling bins will soon come to your neighborhood. Sparkt found out why this is happening, and what you can do about it.
This "recycling revolution" has been caused by a sea change in the recycling business. In the 1990's, recycling haulers established single-stream recycling bins as the norm because they were easier for consumers to use than multiple "sorted" bins. That worked because recyclers were willing to sort it all out at a material recovery facility. Now that's becoming too expensive, and the companies who buy the raw materials are pickier. They want "clean" raw materials. In other words, they don't want shattered glass all over their paper, cans and plastic bottles, and they don't want glass contaminated by everything else.
"It's like scrambling an egg. You put all these materials into one one bin, that's scrambling the egg. Then you're asking someone to unscramble it which we know is impossible." Justin Stockdale, Executive Director, PRC
Justin Stockdale of the Pennsylvania Resources Council likes to show people the picture below to show what glass "scrambled" with other recyclables looks like.
Now that you can no longer put glass in your recycling bins, Justin's group is working with municipalities and other environmental groups to establish centralized drop off spots for glass, so stay tuned!
Also stay tuned for the second part of Spartk's investigation into the "recycling revolution." Here's a teaser: did you realize that most of the plastic household waste you throw into the bin isn't even being recycled? We'll explain why and what you can do about it.
How can you start something good?
I'm a journalist who lives in Ross Township. I love to sing, bake, volunteer, watch my son play baseball and do nice things for others.
More stories you may love
How Saving A Church Is Saving Lives Too
11/24/2020, 09:05AM EST
A couple bought an abandoned church and turned it into a community center. What they've created is so much bigger.
They're Saluting Our Veterans Every Day of the Year
Meet the Pittsburghers who are making sure our returning vets have jobs, homes and food, and find out how you can help.
Chaffin Luhana To Give Away More Than 800 Turkeys This November
Marty Griffin
Find out why this local attorney got involved and how to get your family on the list.
How Goats And The Volunteers Who Love Them Are Saving A Popular Park
They're keeping invasive plants from taking over Pittsburgh's Frick Park by doing what comes naturally. For the goats at least!
Have you ever felt like there's just too much bad news? Ever felt like the world is hopeless, and you're helpless to do anything about it? We did too. That's why we created Sparkt™.
At Sparkt™, we tell powerful stories about great people making a difference in their communities, and we show you how you can make a difference too. Join us, and together, let's #StartSomethingGood!
About Sparkt
She's An Inspiration: Young Poet Brings Words Of Hope In A Time of Trial
People Join Black Neighbor For A Walk After He Says He's Afraid To Go Alone
How Many Ways Can You Say 'Thank You?' Teen's Card-Writing Project Sparks Worldwide Kindness
Donors Give Over 150K To Fund Projects For Rhode Island Teachers
Warning: This Community Program Is In Danger Of Shutting Down!
Can Bob's Brother Convince Him To Accept Help Before It's Too Late?
Sparkt Newsletter
Get positive, uplifting stories in your inbox
Sparkt™ is a Rabble Holdings, Inc. Media Brand. © 2020 Rabble Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved.