QC recycling center now taking glass containers

The town is now accepting glass containers for recycling only at its recycling center. Bins indicate how to separate different types of glass. (Town of Queen Creek)

Queen Creek has joined with Waste Connections of Arizona and Strategic Materials, Inc., to launch a glass recycling pilot program at the Queen Creek Recycling Center.

By adding glass to its list of recycled items, Queen Creek is addressing a difficult material and not backing away from it as some neighboring communities have done.

"Glass recycling requires special treatment due to its unique properties," said a town press release. "Separating glass from other recyclable materials reduces the risk of contaminating other recyclables, fosters a safe work environment for recycling sorters and promotes closed-loop recycling.

"Glass that is properly separated from other recyclables has a higher value and can save the town money."

Glass currently only accounts for 9% of what comes to the town recycling

center, but even that amount can present problems.

That's why the town is partnering with Waste Connections to handle it.

Glass often shatters, contaminating other items like cardboard and paper and making recycling impossible.

It is also extremely heavy which presents its own set of problems, making it less cost effective to recycle.

Town officials said some communities have removed glass from their recycling programs, and Queen Creek's recycled cardboard would be more valuable without glass in it.

They said cardboard is currently worth about $70 a ton when it is contaminated with glass, and would fetch upwards of $90 a ton without it.

As part of the partnership with Waste Connections, a container designated for glass bottles and jars has been installed at the QC Recycle Center.

Glass should be sorted by color, with sections for green, clear, and amber glass. Glass bottles and jars should be emptied, gently rinsed, unbagged, and properly sorted, a press release from the town said.

All material recycled at the QC Recycling Center should be placed without a plastic bag into the containers. Bags can be recycled at most grocery or big box stores.

The glass recycling pilot program only affects the recycling center and does not impact residential curbside recycling. Glass jars and bottles can still be recycled in your blue recycling cart at home, according to the town.

Queen Creek has an online "Recycle Wizard" to help residents know how and where to recycle other things, such as light bulbs or mirrors.

Information: QueenCreekAZ.gov/Recycle.

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