LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Glass and other recyclable materials will no longer be allowed in recycle bins in Pulaski County starting April 1.
Glass is one of the most recyclable materials out there, but the county wants you to stop tossing it in your recycle bin.
"It just cannot be mixed in with other materials in your curbside cart,” Craig Douglass said.
Executive Director of the Regional Recycling District said because all recyclable materials go into one bin in Pulaski County, glass is hard to separate in the recycling process.
"Through that process glass breaks, it gets mixed in with plastic, paper cans that are recyclable and it contaminates the recycling stream,” Douglass said.
So instead, Douglass said you need to take glass one of the five green stations. You can find where those green stations here.
Also starting April 1, you will no longer be allowed to recycle any paper milk cartons because of the waxy coating on the outside. Aerosol spray cans are also not allowed.
"Aerosol cans can be taken to the green stations now along with glass,” Douglass said.
Ace Glass is also offering another option for you to recycle glass. Owner Courtney Little said his company is offering curbside glass pickup.
"It's 10 dollars a month or 100 dollars a year and you put the 18 gallon totes next to your large recycling bin on the same,” Little said.
Little said a worker will come by and pick it up and throw it the glass pile at Ace Glass. He said his company has been collecting glass for over six months now, amounting to over 800-thousand pounds of glass on his lot.
“It is 99 percent recyclable. It never biodegrades, so it takes up a lot of weight in landfills which costs us money and there’s a lot of uses for it like fiberglass,” Little said.
Little says he hopes this change doesn't deter people from recycling glass. So, make sure you looking into other recycling options starting April 1.
"Why throw something away that we can use when its cost effective for other products in our markets,” Little said.
If you would like to sign up for curbside glass pick up, click here. Little said you can also drop off your glass at Ace Glass near Clinton National Airport.
If you are wondering what IS recyclable, Douglass said this: “Paper, plastic, cardboard (that is flattened out), tin cans, aluminum cans and steel cans.”