CLEARFIELD – Due to severe contamination issues at the Clearfield County Jail recycling site, the county will no longer be accepting clear glass bottles and jars for recycling, effective immediately at this specific site.
“Glass processors have very strict standards and will reject an entire load if any of the following non-conforming types of materials are found within: window glass, drinking glasses, plates, fluorescent bulbs or mirrors,” explained Jodi Brennan, Clearfield County Solid Waste Authority director.
“Only glass bottles, jugs or jars are allowed and those bottles and jars must be separated (clear versus color). Clear glass bottles and jars cannot have any other color of glass in the load, as that too would be viewed by the glass processor as a contaminated load.”
Though these various glass products may look similar, Brennan said that there are actually some notable differences, such as in chemical compositions and melting temperatures. Also, she said that window glass may be tempered or tinted, thus containing additional contaminates.
She went on to say that: “Manually sorting contaminated glass is not an option due to the obvious safety hazards associated with broken glass and as such requires the contaminated material to be landfilled.”
Brennan said they are asking residents who participate in any of the county’s recycling programs to kindly adhere to the guidelines to avoid future terminations.
Any questions regarding what can and can’t be recycled can be directed to the Clearfield County Solid Waste Authority Office by calling 814-765-5149.
