When Truman State University鈥檚 glass recycling facility shut down several years ago, it left a void in the community that the city of Kirksville wanted to fill.
Thanks to a grant from the Region 鈥淐鈥� Northeast Missouri Solid Waste Management District, Kirksville was able to get the necessary push to bring a needed service back to the area.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no glass recycling in north Missouri. There used to be. Truman used to be able to do it on campus, but they didn鈥檛 have the staffing or the means to do it any longer,鈥� said Sarah Halstead, Kirksville鈥檚 administrative services coordinator.
鈥淲hen they closed their glass recycling facility, Sue Morton, (coordinator) with the Solid Waste Management District, came to the city and said, 鈥榃hat can we do? How can we make this work?鈥欌��
The city of Kirksville recently celebrated its first truckload pickup from its glass bunker at the Public Works Complex. Ripple Glass, of Kansas City, hauled away about 23.41 tons of mixed glass.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really excited about it. We鈥檙e really excited that it鈥檚 picking up and taking off. We were really excited to get our first load hauled off from the bunker,鈥� Halstead said.
It was in 2014 when the city received a grant worth $35,000 through the Sold Waste Management District to build its bunker for glass recycling.
Prior to receiving the grant funding, the city had already worked with Advanced Disposal to include curbside glass recycling pickup within in city limits in its contract.
鈥淲e started the process before we actually got the grant because we wanted to have it in place in case we did,鈥� Halstead said.
Once the grant was awarded, the city constructed the bunker at the Public Works Complex and began purchasing totes for people who wanted their recyclable glass collected.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long process to make it happen but all glass does is fill up the landfill,鈥� Halstead said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 disintegrate, it鈥檚 not biodegradable, so it just sits. If we can find a way to reuse it then that鈥檇 be fantastic.鈥�
The city鈥檚 Glass Recycling Program officially kicked off last December. Ripple Glass also awarded the city $3,500 to purchase its first 500 totes for the program. Over the last 10 months, the city has been collecting glass and recently collected enough for Ripple Glass to make its first truckload pickup.
Prior to the start of the program, Ripple Glass, which is based in Kansas City, also offered to drive to Kirksville and pick up the glass that鈥檚 collected. The city is required to collect about 24 tons of glass for the company to do a pickup.
鈥淩ipple Glass recycles it,鈥� Halstead said, 鈥渢hey will turn it into several things. One of the main things they turn it into is fiber glass. So, they grind it down and then turn it into fiber glass.鈥�
The Glass Recycling Program鈥檚 curbside pickup happens on the first Monday and Tuesday of each month.
People who live outside of the city limits can drop off their glass recyclables at Community Opportunities. The city has also placed recycling dumpsters in downtown Kirksville to collect more glass.
Halstead said the city will received another grant to purchase more totes for people looking to participate in the Glass Recycling program.
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