DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa.–Citing rising disposal costs, starting Aug. 1 glass will no longer be accepted at Dauphin County’s ten drop-off sites:
- Conewago Township Municipal Building, 3279 Old Hershey Road – Elizabethtown
- Dauphin County Recycling Center 1625 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg
- Gratz Borough Community Center, 125 North Center Street – Gratz
- Halifax Borough (by Deppen Park), Route 225, 1/4 mile outside borough
- Harrisburg City, Uptown Shopping Plaza parking lot (7th St. & Division St.)
- Highspire Borough, Lumber and Broad St. (behind mini-mall)
- Lykens Borough, Boxers Parking Lot
- Millersburg Borough, Front Street and Keystone Road
- Washington Township/Elizabethville Borough, Lykens Valley Plaza, parking lot
- Williamstown Borough/Williams Township, Williamstown Borough Municipal Building
“Unfortunately, recyclers are refusing to accept recycled glass because there is no demand,’’ said Commissioner Mike Pries, who oversees the county’s Department of Solid Waste Management & Recycling. “We have been paying around $1,200 a month to dispose of glass and that is not an expense taxpayers should shoulder.’’
Pries said if demand for glass returns the county would again accept it, but for now the bins will be used to collect plastics.
The county’s move comes on the heels of Harrisburg’s decision last year to stop collecting glass because of the cost. Other cities, such as Charleston, W.Va., Greenville, S.C., Marietta, Ga., Baton Rouge, La. have also stopped collecting recycled glass.
Dauphin County’s decision will not impact municipalities that have their own recycling programs that collect glass.
“We are committed to recycling, but we cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars to dispose of materials for which there is no demand,’’ said commission Chairman Jeff Haste. “In March, we had to restrict electronics recycling to county residents only to ensure we would not start collecting so much that we would have to start paying to get rid of items.’’
Commissioner George P. Hartwick, III said the board doesn’t like having to restrict any recycling.
“We will continue to monitor the recycling markets,’’ Hartwick said. “If demand for glass returns, we will resume collection at our drop-off sites.’’
For more information about the county’s recycling programs, please call 717-982-6772 or visit www.DauphinCounty.org.
