CITY TO SPONSOR GLASS RECYCLING DROP OFF EVENT

for more information:
Ernie Slottag 789-2235

Mayor J. Michael Houston announced today that the City of Springfield will provide a glass recycling drop-off event on Saturday, October 8, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the IL State Fairgrounds.

“The city is happy to provide a collection point that will accept all colors of glass bottles and jars that held food or drink,” Mayor Houston said. “Not every waste hauler in town accepts colored glass, and at this time residents of apartments and town homes have no glass recycling option. The City wants to continue to find ways to provide this service to these residents.”

“Recycling glass is a way we can reduce our dependence on sending it to landfills where it does not decompose or break down. Landfills provide an option that is not the best solution. We are happy to take the lead and provide this recycling service, not just for city residents, but for all area residents.”

All colors of glass containers are acceptable: clear, brown, green and blue. Only glass bottles, jars or jugs that held food or drink will be accepted at this collection event. Other recyclable materials will not be accepted. We cannot take other types of glass such as kitchenware, window panes, eyeglasses, mirrors, or light bulbs, because they are a different type of glass and will contaminate the recycling process.

To recycle your glass, you should enter the Illinois State Fairgrounds at Gate 11, at the corner of Sangamon Avenue and 8^th Street. Traffic will be directed from the entry to the collection area and will be directed to exit via Gate 7, exiting onto Taintor Road. If you enter the fairgrounds through another gate, you will be redirected to Gate 11. Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles while volunteers unload the glass.

“The State Agriculture Department’s Fairgrounds is an ideal site for this type of drive-through drop-off event and we thank them for helping us to provide this free public service,” Mayor Houston added.

Information on many types of recyclable materials is available at the city’s website at: www.springfield.il.us/recycle.htm. For further details, contact the city’s Division of Waste & Recycling at 789-2327.