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DeKalb County will continue to pick up glass for recycling, but sorting encouraged

Avondale Estates Decatur Metro ATL

DeKalb County will continue to pick up glass for recycling, but sorting encouraged

The DeKalb County Sanitation Department.
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The DeKalb County Sanitation Department.

The DeKalb County Sanitation Department.

DeKalb County residents currently can recycle glass products along with cans and plastic without having to separate these items.

And while “single-stream” recycling will remain in effect “until further notice,” the county has dropped a hint that it may be considering changes to its program.

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Today the county issued a press release stating that it will encourage residents to sort glass and bring it to designated drop-off centers.

“The County has offered single-stream recycling collection service to its residents for over 10 years, and will continue to offer this service as a courtesy to residents,” the press release says. “However, keeping recyclable materials free of contaminants, particularly glass, is a growing and critical concern not only for the County, but the state of Georgia and the entire nation.”

Avondale Estates recently stopped accepting glass for recycling. The city listed the following reasons for the decision.

– The weight of glass means the cost of transporting it to processing facilities is not beneficial financially or environmentally.

– Glass must be sorted by color.

– Certain types of glass – including drinking glasses, ceramic, pottery, window panes, mirrors, and fluorescent light bulbs – are not recyclable.

– Broken glass contaminates other good recyclables.

– Glass bottles and jars are non-toxic products made of sand, limestone, and soda ash.

A recent story published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution notes that the majority of glass recycled by residents ends up in local landfills as the cost of sifting through the materials has risen. To read the story, click here.

“Separating glass from other recyclable materials is the most effective way to recycle it,” the county’s press release says.

The county recommends dropping off glass at the following locations:

Central DeKalb                                                              Central DeKalb

Target – Private                                                              Your DeKalb Farmers Market – Private

4241 LaVista Road                                                        3000 E Ponce de Leon Avenue

Tucker, GA 30084                                                          Decatur, GA 30030

 

Southwest DeKalb                                                        South DeKalb

Target – Private                                                              DeKalb County Seminole Road Landfill

1275 Caroline Street NE                                               203 Clevemont Road

Atlanta, GA 30307                                                         Ellenwood, GA 30294

Decaturish asked the county about the status of single-stream recycling.

“We are encouraging residents to continue recycling glass, and we are also encouraging them to do so through the sort-separation method (separating glass from other recyclable materials and not including it with their single-stream recycling),” Public Information Officer Pauline Andrea said. “However, for those who are unable to get to a glass recycling drop-off location or unable to use the sort-separation method for any reason, we have stated that they can still include glass with their single-stream recycling that we collect on their scheduled collection day, and they can do so until further notice. In essence, the answer is yes, we are still accepting glass with single-stream recycling, but also encouraging residents to use the sort-separation method instead.”

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