Gainesville residents should stop putting glass in their recyclable containers, beginning August 1 because the city has decided to contract with Hall County to handle recyclables and the county doesn't accept glass.
The city's recyclable program will continue exactly has it has been, except for the restriction on glass.
At Thursday's work session, City Council members agreed to vote on a Memorandum of Understanding with Hall County. Currently, the city hauls recyclables to Athens, and the deal with the county will save time and resources, officials said.
“The primary change for us to bring our recycling to Hall County would be a requirement to remove the glass from our recycling,” said Todd Beebe, director of public services.
At present the city allows residents to combine all recyclables (paper, plastic, aluminum, glass, etc.) in one city-provided container. That practice would have to change and city residents would need to dispose of glass with standard rubbish, or take it themselves to a county compactor site.
If the resolution is approved Tuesday evening, implementation would not take place until August 1, according to Beebe. “We’re going to start an education program for citizens on July 1. There will be some cost savings with this for us and…will help streamline our services.”
City Manager Bryan Lackey said Gainesville was one of the last remaining municipalities providing mixed recycling.
“The market for recycled glass has really dried up," he said. "We’re actually having to pay for the provider in Athens to take it.”
“It had become quite burdensome for us to have to separate the glass, put it on a truck, take it to Athens, and pay them to take it,” Lackey explained.
Lackey said the cost savings the city realizes by not having to pay for glass recycling will have a beneficial effect for residents.
“What this allows us to do is not have the conversation about raising rates," he said. "It was really getting to be cost-prohibitive to do that…plus we had to pay to have it transported to Athens.”
Mayor Danny Dunagan agreed with Lackey.
“It’s going to save our citizens money in the long run," Dunagan said. "That 'windshield' time back and forth to Athens was getting expensive.”
Lackey said Gainesville customers will continue to use the recycle bins they now use.
“They can still do everything they’ve done before, just glass needs to be taken out and put in the trash, or kept in a separate bin that they can take to one of the Hall County facilities.”
Gainesville Communications and Tourism Director Nikki Perry said people are encouraged to take their glass to the county to recycle and not leave it in the city container.
According to wording in the Memorandum of Understanding: "Hall County will pay the City of Gainesville one-half the market rate for OCC (old corrugated cardboard) only." Arriving OCC loads from the city will be weighed upon arrival at the county's Chestnut Street facility.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2019/6/804344/gainesville-hall-county-team-up-to-handle-areas-recycling