Decatur, Georgia, debates glass recycling

This is  because of an impending price hike starting July 1, in which every resident will be required to pay an extra $25 per year to cover the expense of glass recycling, regardless of actual participation. Residents also will need to separate glass from other recyclables and will require a second collection bin. 

11Alive says  Decatur is one of several areas considering discontinuing glass recycling. This is because glass is not necessarily a first-priority recyclable and requires cleaning, which makes it more expensive to recycle.

“You have to go to a place that can crush it, heat it, whatever they need to do to reuse it, so there’s energy consumption,” Assistant City Manager David Junger told 11Alive. “But in terms of harmful contaminants to a landfill, it’s not like it’s a petroleum-based product that could be harmful to the environment, and that’s the challenge.” 

The city told 11Alive residents had been extensively polled before they were presented with the price hike. Ninety percent of respondents said they would be willing to pay more to recycle glass products.