A permanent glass recycling station will soon be available in Oakmont’s Riverside Park. Thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, starting Friday, March 17, residents of Oakmont and Verona can drop off any color of glass bottles, jugs and jars at a permanent recycling dumpster in the park. The project is part of a regionwide glass recycling network.
The blue recycling dumpster will be located in Riverside Park’s Second Street parking lot, between Second and Beech streets in Oakmont. It will be available for self-serve drop offs daily between dawn and dusk. People can deposit emptied and rinsed glass containers with the lids and labels still on. Folks are urged to take with them any bags and boxes that were used to deliver glass.
“Glass is still one of the most recyclable materials we generate in our homes, and the market for glass recycling is very strong,” said Sarah Alessio Shea, deputy director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. “When you take the time to use glass-only drop-off sites, 98 to 100% of the glass collected is recycled into new bottles and jars, while only an average of 60% to 70% of glass collected in curbside programs is able to be captured for recycling.”