When Harrisburg stopped recycling glass last year, environmentally-conscious residents were told they could still bring their used glass to Dauphin County drop-off locations. But starting Aug. 1, that won’t be an option either. Dauphin County officials announced Tuesday they will stop accepting glass on Aug. 1 at their 10 sites, citing increasing disposal costs.<\/p>\n
The county had been paying abou $1,200 each month to get rid of the glass, because the demand has dropped so precipitously for recycled glass.<\/p>\n
“That is not an expense the taxpayers should shoulder,” said Commissioner Mike Pries, who oversees the county’s Department of Solid Waste Management & Recycling.<\/p>\n
If demand for glass returns, the county could again accept it, Pries said, but for now, the bins that formerly were used for glass will be used to collect plastics.<\/p>\n
The county’s move comes 15 months after Harrisburg’s decision to restrict glass collection because of rising costs. Other cities across the country have also stopped collecting recycled glass for the same reason, according to the county’s news release.<\/p>\n
The county’s decision will not affect municipalities that already have their own recycling programs.<\/p>\n
“We are committed to recycling, but we cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars to dispose of materials for which there is no demand,” Commission Chairman Jeff Haste said, according to a news release. “In March, we had to restrict electronics recycling to county residents only to ensure we would not start collecting so much that we would have to start paying to get rid of items.”<\/p>\n
To read the full story, visit <\/em>http:\/\/www.pennlive.com\/news\/2016\/07\/dauphin_county_no_longer_recyc.html<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"