Re: [GreenYes] glass recovery from commingled curbside program

["Susan Hubbard" <susanh@spnec.org>]

Are you folks familiar with the expression 'highest and best use?" Glass is more than heavy - it is a highly recyclable packaging material. For all of the sermons I've read on this list about dealing with these issues on the front end - in the design of the product...we have now come to the conclusion that glass has less value than plastic (a very difficult material to recycle) so let's just dump it.

What is it we are are being asked to do or believe?

zero waste from design or the easiest things to recycle and everything else goes in the trash?




Susan Hubbard
President/CEO
Eureka Recycling ( a non profit organization 
created by the Neighborhood Energy Consortium)
624 Selby Ave.
Saint Paul, MN  55104
651/222-7678
Fax: 651/221-9831

>>> Eric Lombardi <eric@ecocycle.org> 03/13/02 09:39AM >>>
Hi Michele,

You're a brave woman to say this ... and it makes me wonder if its true?
Can anyone out there make a "compelling environmental reason" to collect
curbside glass?   The key statement here is "curbside" as opposed to
recycling glass through drop-off centers.

Eric Lombardi
EcoCycle

Michele Raymond wrote:

> It may be heavy, but there is no compelling environmental reason to collect
> glass curbside.
>
> They should try to collect plastic and aluminum,as they have higher
> value.  Just a personal observation
> Glass contaminates other streams too.
> Michele Raymond
>
> At 03:24 PM 3/12/02 -0500, Steve Hammer wrote:
> >As you're probably aware, NYC is in the thick of a debate over its metal
> >glass and plastic recycling program.
> >
> >One of the most contentious issues is what to do about glass -- the city
> >claims that markets have essentially disappeared, and now simply counts all
> >glass collected as part of the 40% residue rate coming out of the processing
> >facilities that sort the material.
> >
> >Obviously, part of the problem is the way it's collected and processed --
> >compacted in a packer truck, dumped onto a concrete floor, and then jostled
> >on a conveyor belt to a picking line.  Very little remains intact.
> >
> >I'm interested in learning more about the markets that other (preferably
> >large) cities have found for their material.  Using Chaz Miller's Waste Age
> >profile from a few months ago, are we destined to low value applications
> >(fill, cover replacement, glassphalt)?
> >
> >What steps have other cities taken to ensure they have a marketable cullet?
> >Are redemption centers or curbside sorting the only way to achieve a
> >marketable material?
> >
> >Thanks for any feedback you can provide.
> >
> >
> >Steve Hammer
> >(w) 212-645-9912
> >shammer@wastesaver.com 
> >
> >
> >
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>
> Michele Raymond
> Publisher
> Recycling Laws International/ State Recycling Laws Update
> 5111 Berwyn Rd. Ste 115 College Park, MD 20740)
> 301/345-4237   Fax 345-4768
> http://www.raymond.com 
>
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--
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