Source-Separated Glass Drop Off Opens May 16th at Recycling Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

April 29th, 2022

Source-Separated Glass Drop Off Opens May 16th at Recycling Center

Glass Containers Will Still Be Accepted in Your Curbside Bin

Starting May 16th, 2022 Tompkins County residents will have a new option to recycle glass at the Recycling and Solid Waste Center. Collecting glass separate from other recyclables will allow for cleaner material to be recycled into new glass bottles.

The source-separated glass drop off area will accept a variety of glass containers including wine and beverage bottles and jars. All colors of glass will be accepted. Please do not include lids.

For the past several years, glass recycling has faced several challenges. When glass is mixed with other materials it is often contaminated with other wastes. As a result, glass collected in Tompkins County and other communities has been directed to beneficial use purposes such as landfill cover.

When glass containers are collected separately they can then be sent directly to a glass recycling facility. Glass collected at the Recycling and Solid Waste Center will go to a TOMRA facility in Farmington, New York for color sorting before delivery to bottle manufacturing facilities in Elmira Heights and Auburn.

Please note that glass food and beverage containers will still be accepted in curbside recycling.

For more information contact:

Leo Riley Deputy Director

Tompkins County Recycling & Materials Management

(607) 273-6632

www.recycletompkins.org

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