Glass could get cut in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The recycling program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, may no longer include glass, as the city’s hauler has placed a $735,000 price tag to retain glass collection.

According to a report in the Advocate of Baton Rouge, that city’s Metro Council will decide in June 2015 whether to approve a measure that would end glass collection and processing services effective Nov. 1, 2015.

A recent contract extension negotiation between Baton Rouge and its surrounding parish (county) and Progressive Waste Solutions included input from Progressive that it “would need to upgrade cleaning equipment and secure markets to sell to in order to continue collecting glass, [which] would cost $735,000 per year,” according to the Advocate report.

Progressive, which is based in Canada with its U.S. headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, says glass is causing contamination of other recyclables in the single-stream recycling process.

A Progressive area manager quoted by the Advocate also says recycled glass lacks markets in Louisiana.

Baton Rouge Director of Recycling Susan Hamilton says she will work with Progressive to see if it makes sense to put collection containers around Baton Rouge for glass only.