LI needs a better way to recycle glass

In lots of Lengthy Island properties, recycling is a routine weekly chore. Some residents bundle cardboard and papers. Others toss away used bottles and jars together with steel and plastic waste. Some wash and separate them rigorously, whereas others toss them soiled and unclean into one giant bin. 

Normally, these “recyclables” wind up on the curb, ready to be picked up. And practically all of us do not know what occurs after they go away our properties.

However in Brookhaven City, the recycling of glass waste is totally different. Residents drop off glass recyclables — every thing from pickle jars to wine bottles — at 14 assortment facilities round city that embody firehouses, senior facilities, libraries and parks. 

It’s a extra complete strategy to one of many nagging questions on stable waste, a primary step that different municipalities are simply fascinated by. But, this Brookhaven strategy could present a regional mannequin for coping with recycled glass.

As a Newsday examination not too long ago confirmed, Brookhaven is the one giant Lengthy Island city presently utilizing designated drop-off websites. The transfer was prompted in 2018 by an general drop in commodity costs for recyclables. By rigorously separating clear glass waste, Brookhaven says it will get a greater return and permits the recovered glass for use probably in new merchandise like jars and bottles. This screening strategy avoids soiled glass, which is much less worthwhile to producers, or glass combined with different recyclables that diminish its market worth.

Different Lengthy Island municipalities have a extra generalized method to accumulate glass waste. It’s often combined along with plastic, steel and different recyclables. This glass usually winds up getting used to cowl landfills or combined in with asphalt or concrete, which eliminates its attainable reuse over and over.

A LONGTIME PROBLEM

This hodgepodge strategy dates again to the Nineteen Eighties when state environmental officers urged cities and cities to create new recycling applications to assist alleviate the general rubbish drawback. Again then, the weird plight of the Islip rubbish barge — wandering the excessive seas seeking a spot to dump its refuse — highlighted the nationwide want for recycling and higher methods to do away with waste.

There was some admirable progress. General, America’s recycling has elevated from below 7% in 1960 to 32% by final yr. Since 1980, the whole quantity of glass waste generated in the USA, which peaked in 1980 at 15 million tons, was diminished to 12 million tons by 2018, in accordance with the Environmental Safety Company.

Throughout this era, the quantity of glass recycled elevated considerably. But at this time, greater than two-thirds of all glass waste nationally continues to be both buried in landfills or burned as a part of vitality restoration tasks.

Glass waste is simply a small a part of the gargantuan process of eliminating Lengthy Island’s rubbish. The EPA says glass waste accounts for below 5% of the nation’s rubbish.

Regardless of the constructing of recent incinerators producing electrical energy in lots of cities, rubbish woes are nonetheless very a lot with us, largely because of the shutdown of landfills. One of many final, Brookhaven’s landfill, the place different cities pay to get rid of their incinerator ash by mutual settlement, is predicted to start closing its gates subsequent yr. Discovering options to stable waste issues already tops many municipal leaders’ agendas.

Working collectively in a single unified method to take care of glass waste may encourage different regional or multi-town methods to assist Lengthy Island take care of its stable waste issues. That’s why the Brookhaven instance with recycled glass is especially value emulating on a much bigger scale. 

REGIONAL SOLUTION NEEDED

It’s clear that extra Lengthy Island cooperation and management — by the 13 city supervisors along with the 2 county executives — is required to plot a wise answer for recycled glass and stimulate new markets for it. A person city, even one as massive as Brookhaven, generates a restricted circulation of recycled glass.

However a unified regional effort — ideally by a public-private consortium gathering clear recycled glass from three million residents and plenty of companies — may present a circulation giant sufficient to entice personal companies to construct a plant that may course of the glass and promote it for reuse. Proper now, recycling companies say Lengthy Island’s strategy is simply too decentralized to supply an ample provide of glass to make such an endeavor worthwhile.

There’s already some assist towards reaching that regional purpose. The state Division of Environmental Conservation has offered $4.2 million for a program at upstate Alfred State School to seek out new methods to recycle and reuse glass and develop current markets. However legislative leaders should present stronger assist for this regional strategy. The latest failure to incorporate wine and liquor bottles within the 5-cent redemption invoice stymied makes an attempt to get extra clear glass into the system. We will’t afford to overlook alternatives like that to assist develop markets for recycling.

For a lot of, spending time at dwelling cleansing and washing bottles, jars and different used glass merchandise is an act of excellent citizenship. They need to be assured their efforts are being put to good use with a Lengthy Island-wide authorities recycling strategy that actually helps enhance our surroundings.