FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 19, 2012
Contact:  Art Raymond
801-547-2659

City to Announce New, Voluntary Curbside Glass Recycling

New service and commercial efforts already underway will divert mountains of glass from landfill

SALT LAKE CITY – Please join Mayor Ralph Becker, City Recycling Program Manager Debbie Lyons and Squatters Environmental and Social Program Director James Soares for an exciting announcement regarding voluntary curbside glass recycling service on Monday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. on the south side of Squatters Pub, 147 W. Broadway (300 South).

The new program will launch with availability to roughly half of Salt Lake City residents, with the remaining areas coming online in April 2013. Volume in just the first month of service is expected to top 24 tons. Glass drop-off centers, located throughout the City, will remain operational concurrent with the new service.

“Being able to offer curbside glass pickup to our residents will have wide-ranging positive impacts that include reducing volume at our landfills and ensuring these recyclable resources stay in the user stream,” said Mayor Becker. “Much of this waste is reutilized locally, which not only optimizes this process, but makes a positive contribution to our local economy and jobs market.”

Curbside glass recycling pickup is a voluntary program and will be available to residents in the designated neighborhoods for $6 per month for monthly service. Subscribers can also sign up for automatic noticing that occurs the day before scheduled pickup via automated phone call, text message or email. All colors of glass can be placed in the 35-gallon grey bins for curbside service.

James Soares, who heads-up environmental programs for Squatters Pubs and Brewery, will discuss the success of voluntary commercial glass recycling that’s been coordinated through the Downtown Alliance’s Kick the Glass Habit program. That effort, launched in 2010, has diverted some 568 tons of glass from the landfill to the recycling stream. Soares computed the following equivalents to help illustrate just how much 568 tons represents:

•  2,274,396    Squatters hamburgers, or
•  3,032,528    oranges, or
•  3,639,033    iPhones

Both the City’s voluntary curbside program and commercial glass recycling are conducted through service agreements with Momentum Recycling. Momentum has recently opened a local, state-of-the-art facility where the recovered glass is crushed, heat-cleansed and sorted. End users include the Owens Corning insulation plant in Nephi and local and regional manufacturers that produce sand blasting products, landscaping, new bottles, decorative countertops and tile and other items.

Details regarding where the new service will be available will be announced at the event. Residents can subscribe to the new service by visiting the SLC Green - Recycling & Waste Services page or calling 801-535-6999.

More information on Momentum Recycling is at www.momentumrecycling.com.

EVENT:     Salt Lake City Curbside Glass Recycling Announcement

WHO:       Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker

               Salt Lake City Recycling Program Manager Debbie Lyons

               Squatters Environmental and Social Program Director James Soares

               Momentum Recycling representatives

WHEN:      Monday, Oct. 22, 2012

                10 a.m

WHERE:    Squatters Pub

               147 W. Broadway (300 South)

               (south side of building, near patio)