Why Boyle County Does Not Recycle Glass

In November of 2018, glass was taken at Gose Pike and put in a 20-yard dumpster. Republic Services would pick up when full and haul to landfill. The dumpster was not taken to be recycled due to Lexington recycling being closed for upgrades and the low market prices or the “China Sword” as it was called. 

During the next several months we noticed Convenience Center operators were trying their best to keep up with shards of glass on pavement.  Public was complaining about flat tires, and other issues concerning broken glass.  We had trouble with people who collect bottles rummaging through the glass and causing more breakage.  It became a huge liability. 

If the public does not recycle properly and it comes into the Recycling Center broken, it causes cuts to employees, contamination to other recycling, flat tires on equipment, and many other costly issues. 

We made the decision to stop taking glass. 

Boyle County Recycling is a “single-stream” recycling center which means 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 hoping 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, reducing revenue, or requires more cleaning and sorting, adding cost and lowering profit.   

It will cost between $70-$90 to process a ton, 3,000-4,000 bottles/jars of glass.  It can be sold for only about $8-$10 a ton. Instead of Boyle County increasing its revenue by recycling, it would cost the taxpayer about $60 to $80 a ton to process.

Why has the market for glass changed? 

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  Over the past two (2) decades, glass has also been replaced by aluminum and plastic for many products, leading to less demand for glass. 

Disadvantages of Glass Recycling 

  • Not all glass is recyclable.  
  • High costs associated with glass recycling. 
  • Glass is a contaminant of other recyclables. Broken glass will contaminate other recyclables like paper and cardboard, lowering their value.  Since the “China Sword” we must be focused on quality of the product. 
  • Broken glass is difficult to sort and ends up in trash. 
  • It creates a hazardous situation for workers when sorting and processing the glass.
  • Recycled glass 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. 

We are not against recycling glass here in Boyle County.  Until we have adequate facilities, with ample room for a Pulverizer/Crusher and extra employees, we need to continue the way that is making us successful. 

Click here for a flyer on what we do recycle! (PDF)

Angela Muncy - Director, Solid Waste and Recycling