A city in Tennessee wants to get glass out of its single-stream system, and a Hawaiian county eliminates several recycling programs.
Maui County, Hawaii: A lack of state funding and the high cost of recycling certain materials has led to the elimination of some recycling programs. The county will no longer handle scrap metals, batteries or paint. Officials tell The Maui News the market for scrap metals is weak, no longer making the program cost effective. The county is providing residents with information on how to properly discard paint and batteries in a landfill.
Knoxville, Tenn.: Broken glass is plaguing Knoxville’s single-stream recycling system. While glass will continue to be collected at the curb, city leaders tell WLVT they would rather have people drop off glass at recycling convenience centers. That way, the material won’t act as a contaminant and will hold its value for the recycling market.
Gillette, Wyo.: City and county leaders are working to move from the current single-stream recycling system to a new system that requires sorting by type. Officials tell the Gillette News Record the single-stream system is ineffective and expensive.
