Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | 2:21 PM
The company providing trash collection for Ross residents is asking township commissioners to ban glass from curbside recycling because it often contaminates other items that can be processed for reuse.
In a letter to the township requesting the change in the contract, officials from Waste Management of Pennsylvania wrote that “glass collected through single stream recycling presents some challenges.”
Single-stream recycling means materials are placed at the curb for pickup and separated at a recycling facility, Erika Dayarmin-Young, a spokeswoman for Waste Management, said following the March 2 board meeting.
The “contamination” occurs when glass breaks while being transported with cardboard and plastic, making the entire batch unusable for recycling, she said.
If Ross holds Waste Management to its contract, the company will still be required to collect and recycle glass at its Neville Island plant, according to the letter.
But company officials said if glass breaks during transport, it along with the plastic and cardboard that has been collected will be sent to a landfill. The request to change recycling practices is being sent to all of the communities that have contracts with Waste Management for refuse collection. The company’s contract with Ross runs through 2021.
Several commissioners said they were disappointed that the company is not offering an alternative to eliminating glass from curbside pickup.
“They are asking for something from us, from our residents, and aren’t offering anything in return,” said Commissioner Jack Betkowski. “Why not have an option to separate glass out of the recycling and have a second pickup for just the glass?”
While Betkowski’s suggestion would be more convenient for residents, Dayarmin-Young said doing that negatively impacts the environment and increases the cost for recycling.
“While I think we would consider such a request, putting a second truck on the road to pick up glass could be costly to communities,” she said. “And those trucks will be burning more fuel making their rounds and then traveling to a glass recycling facility.”
Some of the commissioners said the glass recycling events that are held in the region by organizations such as the Pennsylvania Resources Council are not a viable substitute for curbside pickup.
“Part of what we should do is ask if there is an option for our residents to recycle glass on a weekly basis that doesn’t screw up their single stream,” said Commissioner Steve Korbel. “That might be a change to our contract, but I think it’s more convenient for our folks if there is another option.”
Korbel noted that some communities are instructing residents to simply place glass in with the regular household trash or save it until they can take it to a recycling event.
Commissioner Joe Laslavic said if the options come down to tossing glass in the trash or hanging onto it until it can be recycled, he is inclined to hold Waste Management to the terms of the contract.
“That’s an inconvenience to our residents,” he said. “I don’t want to inconvenience our resident with having to wait for a recycling event for glass.”
Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer said he, too, is opposed to “letting them out of their contract,” calling their request “disingenuous.”
“We’ve always had single stream recycling,” he said. “But all of a sudden, this is a critical problem? The real issue is that the economics of recycling has changed. They used to make money off the recycling that we put out, and now they are not making money.”
Dayarmin-Young said there have, in fact, been economic changes that affect the recycling industry.
She noted that in 2017, China, which is a major importer of recyclable material, banned 24 materials for import and also significantly reduced the amount of contamination permitted.
“There’s still a market for recyclable materials,” Dayarmin-Young said. “But the limitations on what will be accepted means we need people to focus on the quality of the things put to the curb.”
