Residents of Oakmont and Verona can soon drop off glass bottles, jars and jugs at a permanent recycling dumpster in Riverside Park, thanks to a grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Beginning on Friday, March 17, they can bring all colors of glass bottles, jars and jugs to Riverside Park’s Second Avenue parking lot as part of a regionwide glass recycling network.
“Glass is still one of the most recyclable materials we generate in our homes, and the market for glass recycling is very strong,” Pennsylvania Resources Council Deputy Director Sarah Alessio Shea stated in a news release to the media on Friday.
The blue recycling dumpster will be in Riverside Park’s Second Street parking lot located between Second Street and Beech Street in Oakmont and will be available for self-serve drop-offs daily between dawn and dusk. No item sorting is required. Containers should be empty and rinsed, with lids and labels still on. Bags and boxes used to deliver glass must be discarded offsite.
The Glass Recycling Collaborative of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a partnership between municipalities in Allegheny County and the PRC, provides reliable, uninterrupted glass recycling access, according to the news release. This permanent recycling site in Riverside Park is sponsored by the Borough of Oakmont and the Borough of Verona and is made possible through a state DEP recycling grant held by Dormont Borough. Program partners are CAP Glass and Michael Brothers Hauling and Recycling.
“Oakmont Borough Council and the residents of Oakmont have been asking for a permanent glass recycling dumpster for quite a while,” explained Oakmont Assistant Borough Manager Phyllis J. Anderson in the news release. “I am glad that we were afforded the opportunity to partner with Verona Borough on this joint venture. Our residents are extremely excited to have permanent collection available.”
Verona Borough Manager Stefanie Woolford agreed. “The residents of Verona are extremely excited about having a permanent glass recycling site,” she said in the news release. “We are thrilled our partnership with Oakmont has allowed this to happen.”
All glass collected will be hauled by Michael Brothers to CAP Glass in Mount Pleasant. There it will be sorted and prepared for use by regional glass product manufacturers. A bottle, jar or jug dropped in the bin can be recycled and back on a store shelf in less than 30 days.
For more information regarding glass recycling, visit the PRC website.
Helen is a copy editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but she's currently on strike. Contact her at hfallon@unionprogress.com.