A series of proposals is under consideration as efforts to bring glass recycling back to Bowling Green and the rest of Wood County move forward. Wood County Administrator Andrew Kalmar said four options for glass recycling were presented at the Wood County Solid Waste Management Board meeting on Monday, and that the county has a preference for one of the options.
鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a decision made; however, from the county standpoint, we prefer option D,鈥� Kalmar said. 鈥淚t most mirrors what we鈥檝e been doing.鈥�
With this plan, the glass will be taken in by the Bowling Green Recycling Center, as it鈥檚 always been done, and will be stored in the salt shed owned by the city, Kalmar said.
A hauler would come once a month to the center.
The county鈥檚 role is paying the shipping, Kalmar said. It鈥檚 estimated to be $25 a ton, down from the $30 a ton the county was paying before glass recycling stopped last month. Annually, it totals around $8,500.
鈥淭his is really a project of the recycling center. We just assist in getting that glass transported,鈥� he said.
Kalmar said a deal could be finalized by the end of the month.
鈥淲e continue to remain hopeful that the recycling center resumes (glass recycling) soon,鈥� said BG鈥檚 Assistant Municipal Administrator Joe Fawcett. 鈥淔rom the city鈥檚 standpoint, we鈥檝e offered up space, we鈥檝e offered up our front end-loaded and a Public Works employee to come over and help pickup the glass when the hauler comes and drop it into the vehicle at their convenience. We鈥檙e willing to do what we can to make this happen. Again, offering up the salt shed, an employee and a piece of equipment.鈥�
The Bowling Green Recycling Center stopped taking class on July 12 due to financial concerns. A news release from the center indicated that its main glass purchaser decided to stop recycling the material, and other options were too far away and expensive.
Bill DenBesten, chair of the recycling center, said that they remain hopeful for a solution. He noted that while two of the proposals presented 鈥� “A” and “B” 鈥� could be put into motion quickly if approved, proposals “C” and “D” require the cooperation of all three parties. He said those two are based on discussions the center has had with Bowling Green, the county and a “major glass supplier” which he said wishes to remain nameless.
Those proposals could result in lesser costs to the county, DenBesten said. “We are still working out details to that.”
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