The city of Decatur reports that, overall, its new method of collecting glass for recycling is going well. But in some cases, residents’ glass recycling wasn’t picked up.

The city began collecting glass in a separate container on July 1. Previously, glass was mingled with other recyclables. Under the new policy, residents must provide their own container for glass recycling. Other governments in the metro area are reconsidering their recycling practices in light of the problems associated with glass. DeKalb County recently signaled it may stop taking glass products. Avondale Estates has already stopped accepting glass. The problem is that broken glass contaminates other recyclable materials.

[adsanity id=27331 align=aligncenter /]

“Overall, the rollout is going well. But we do have a few tips to share about glass collection that will help ensure the long-term success of the program,” the city said in a press release. “If we missed your glass recyclables this week, we apologize for any inconvenience. Please make sure that it is properly prepared and not contaminated. We will collect your items on the next regularly scheduled service day.”

The city says that glass recycling is picked up at a different time than other recyclable materials.

“If you see that your mixed recycling has been collected, this does not mean that your glass collection was missed,” the city says.

The city also says all trash, yard waste and recycling must be at the curb by 7:30 a.m. Residents must remove lids and tops from glass containers before placing them in the bin. Recyclable materials shouldn’t be placed in plastic bags and materials mixed with glass can’t be collected.

The resident-provided glass recycling bins need to be 18 gallons, or smaller. Paper, plastics and metal can still be recycled in a single container. The City Commission approved increasing the collection fee by $25 each year – from $250 to $275 – to cover the cost of the collection services.