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Shattered glass reminds us of recycling’s three Rs

Bobby Thomas (left) and Greg Poe work at a conveyer belt sorting recyclable materials at the Orange Grove recycling center recently.
Bobby Thomas (left) and Greg Poe work at a conveyer belt sorting recyclable materials at the Orange Grove recycling center recently. Bobby Thomas (left) and Greg Poe work at a conveyer belt sorting recyclable materials at the Orange Grove recycling center recently.

By Times Free Press Staff 4 min read

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Glass ‘recycled’ in curbside bins actually goes to landfill

A number of Chattanoogans and area residents were taken by surprise last week to learn that at least some, maybe much, of the glass tossed into curbside bins here winds up in the landfill.

The news seemed especially shattering to Chattanoogans who have zealously taken to recycling since September when the city again fully embraced curbside recycling using the city’s new 96-gallon blue containers instead of just traditional trash cans.

But local outrage by recycling zealots, while appreciated, may be a bit misplaced. And premature, too.

First – there’s new machinery coming, and city officials thought it wiser not to confuse new recycling habits with on-again-off-again instructions. More on the future in a bit.