   |
 |
Recyling on the Rise, Glass Left Out
Recyling on the Rise, Glass Left Out 2/16/13
CBS 7 News
Matt Rist
mrist@cbs7.com
February 16, 2013
MIDLAND/ODESSA-From mason jars to coke bottles—glass is dangerous for landfills.
But why aren’t we able to recycle glass right here in the Permian Basin?
Michelle Bermes of Green Daisies Curbside Recycling says they took in more than 50 tons of material last year--double what they did in 2011.
But there's still one material out of the mix.
"Every week I have people call and ask about glass,” Bermes said. “And I wish my answer was yes, but i just don't have any place to drop it."
The center that processes most of the recycling in our area says it's just too expensive to recycle glass.
"It’s very costly, to get glass to market, you have to separate the colors, have the right truck and get it to the east coast,” said Kevin Butts, President of Butts Recycling Company. “It costs 7 to eight cents to get to market and only brings back in a quarter."
So where does it go? To the landfill.
"We don't know how long it takes to decompose,” Butts said. “We've never outlived glass, so basically if glass goes to the landfills it's going to sit there for a long, long time."
What would it take to bring glass recycling to the Permian Basin?
"For us to take in glass, we would have to get subsidies from the city of Midland or Odessa if they want to look into it," Butts said.
The closest city that offers recycling of glass materials is Lubbock.
One of the biggest challenges out in West Texas is that recycled glass would have to be shipped for re-use to factories along the east coast.
For more information on recycling visit Keep Midland Beautiful or Keep Odessa Beautiful.
For information on Curbside recycling in the Midland/Odessa area, Visit Green Daisies Curbside Recycling.