Do they pay for glass at the recycle bin? Recycling expert Gerry Acuna says he would love to see the bottle bill come back to inspire people to recycle their glass. Unfortunately not, says Gerry Acuna, the...
Unfortunately not, says Gerry Acuna, the president of Tri Recycling Inc., who has been involved in recycling for 12 years.
"At one time most of this country had bottle bills, which were basically what we used to pay when we were kids every time we bought a six-pack or a case of Cokes. You paid a deposit, about a nickel a bottle. So, there was a value there."
"At one time most of this country had bottle bills, which were basically what we used to pay when we were kids every time we bought a six-pack or a case of Cokes. You paid a deposit, about a nickel a bottle. So, there was a value there."
That value was strong incentive for citizens to recycle their glass.
"At the end of the day, when I drank that beverage, I didn't throw that bottle away. I put it back in that container because there was a value to it and after I got done or when it was time for me to go buy a new case of Cokes, I took it with me. If not, I was going to spend two dollars extra in deposits."
Because of the trends in the soft drink industry, most drinks are now sold exclusively in aluminum cans or plastic bottles. While those are both recyclable materials, the method and incentive for recycling them is different.
Acuna explains, "It changed back in the mid 80's when they did away with bottle bills. As a result, it truly changed the focus of recycling at least with beverage type containers."
It may not be lucrative to recycle glass at the present time, but there are still options available.
The Recycler's World website provides a wealth of links and information about organizations that recycle glass. You can visit their website at www.recycle.net/Glass to learn more.
After the glass is turned in for recycling, many possibilities exist for the future of the material. In fact, there are certain individual organizations that make items using only or mostly recycled glass.
Elizabeth City Glass, based in North Carolina, creates products made from 82% recycled glass. Some of their items include garden art, stepping stones and trash receptacles. You can visit their website at http://glass-recycling.com/ to learn more.
If you can't find a place to take your glass to, consider reusing it in a creative way in your own home.
Possible ideas include creating organized holders for small office supplies (such as paper clips and thumb tacks) from empty baby food jars, making drinking glasses out of clean jam or jelly jars and making candle holders out of former soda or wine bottles.
And despite the fact that recycling glass isn't as lucrative as it once was, it's still important for our environment.
"Glass recycling saves energy because recycled glass can be processed at a lower temperature than blending new glass from raw materials. Also, recycled glass is usually closer to the bottle plants than the sources of potash, the most expensive component in glass bottles and jars," say the experts at the Connecticut Metal Industries.
Furthermore, the Glass Packaging Institute explains additional benefits, "Using recycled glass can cut overall production costs by minimizing consumption of raw materials, lowering energy demands, and extending life of the furnace and other equipment."
If Acuna had his way, the process would revert back to the classic way of glass recycling.
"In my opinion I would love to see bottle bill legislation reintroduced and passed."
