Pocatello Sanitation partners with Utah company to turn glass waste into building
Pocatello’s Sanitation Department is celebrating its first full year of glass recycling Tuesday.
Recycling is important, but why and what has the department done to help the city recycle?
A year ago, 10 recycling receptacles were placed around Pocatello. So far, more than 300,000 pounds of glass has been placed in the receptacles, which are part of a new recycling program that started one year ago.
“We’re so excited. It’s been a great year and a lot of response,” said Debbie Brady, the Pocatello recycling coordinator, who worked on getting this program launched for nearly a year.
After a year of operation, department hopes to expand by placing more receptacles throughout the city.
“In the next couple of years, to provide that to businesses, to get rid of their glass, so hopefully that’s in our future to look for providing that for restaurants, bars, etc. It’s always environmentally the right thing to do,” Brady said.
The program helps reduce the number of glass bottles and jars thrown into our landfills. Glass takes about a1 million years to fully decompose, but why wait for it to disappear, when we could use it now?
Pocatello teamed up with Momentum Recycling in Salt Lake City, a full-service zero waste company that turns glass into alternative building material.
“The best and highest use is to turn glass bottles back into glass bottles. When you can’t do that, the next best, highest use is building material like fiberglass insulation,” said John Lair, the CEO and president of Momentum.
Recycling glass for constructional use cuts down energy consumption by nearly one-third.
“There are a lot of mines that are used and transported and what not. And none of those are infinite resources. So, by using recycled glass, we able to conserve those resources and extend the life of those mine deposits. It’s a good and valuable resource that is wasted by putting it back in the ground.”
To help with the initiative, there are glass recycling dumpsters accessible 24/7 at the following locations:
Sister City Park – Pocatello Creek Road and Satterfield Drive Portneuf Wellness Complex – 2375 Olympus Drive Pocatello City Hall – 911 North Seventh Avenue Ridley’s – 911 North Main Street Albertson’s – 330 East Benton Street Old Town Pavilion – 420 North Union Pacific Avenue Idaho State University – Holt Arena Bannock County Landfill – 1500 North Fort Hall Mine Road Western Recycling – 3034 Garrett Way Edson Fichter Parking – 570 Cheyenne Avenue, next to Indian Hills Elementary School More information on the glass recycling program and all the services provided by the city of Pocatello Sanitation Department can be found at pocatello.us/sanitation.
