Glass recycling is back in Little Rock, per a new agreement with Waste Management, approved by city officials Tuesday evening. The contract is good for three years, and while it does include a slight rate increase, it broadens the city’s recycling potential.
An emergency clause was attached to the resolution Tuesday to immediately put the contract in place as the previous agreement expired March 31. That means Little Rock’s rates will increase right away from $5.25 per month to $5.99 per month. The price is set to go up an additional 30 cents every year until 2027.
The contract also includes a newly approved plastic: clamshell types typically used for to-go containers. About 68,000 households in Little Rock can now chuck the glass and new plastic type along with the rest of their materials in their recycle bins.
“It’s a big day for sustainability,” Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said Tuesday.
Bringing glass back into routine recycling is possible through new equipment at the Waste Management materials recovery facility — also known as the MRF — in east Little Rock. The first feature of the new gear is called the “CP Glass Breaker,” which does what you’d expect. Heavy duty steel discs break down the material and send it away from other recyclables. Next, the glass heads to the “CP Glass Cleaner” where a vacuum system separates remaining paper and plastic debris from the pure glass.
Jamie Vernon, a manager with Waste Management, was present at the meeting Tuesday to answer questions. He said the company is committed to keeping the glass local by sending the materials to local companies for repurposing. Waste Management will provide contamination reports twice a year.
A few city officials were curious to know the participation rate of people who recycle in Little Rock, but neither Waste Management nor the city’s Public Works department knew the answer because the frequency in which a household puts out its recycling bin varies.
“WM is proud to be the residential recycling partner for Little Rock, North Little Rock and Sherwood. This three-year contract extension will make more items eligible for curbside recycling,” said Jim Marcinko, a recycling director for Waste Management, in a statement. “WM is installing a state-of-the-art automated glass recovery system that will improve worker safety and ensure more than 90% of all glass in the stream will be efficiently sorted. In addition to glass, the contract will add #1 plastic containers, commonly called clamshell containers, to the acceptable list.”