Terra Alta Mayor Daniel Hauger told members of the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) he would like to expand the recycling program in Terra Alta. “I’m asking you to team up with us and build this up, ” he said. “We can bring in people from Maryland and Pennsylvania.” Hauger said he was also interested in the possibility of glass recycling. Glass recycling was discussed by members of the SWA but it was later dropped.
SWA Chairman Don Smith said he would look into the possibility again, He said having a place to recycle would be an asset for the county. “A couple of years ago I wrote a grant for glass recycling, ” he said. “It would be a bonus for you guys. I was looking at recycling a half ton per day. A county in Virginia charges $5 for a gallon bucket of glass mulch. It can be used in landscaping and because the glass mulch shines at night it can be used in sidewalk and driveway construction. It can also be made into glass sand or glass mulch, which could be used in parks.”
In June 2020, Smith submitted an application for a West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Grant for a GP-05L system. At that time the system cost $104, 210, including shipping instillation and five days of safety training. During the 2020 meeting, Smith said the GP-05L System could process two tons of glass an hour. He said if it operates 48 weeks a year, over 10 years it would process 38, 600-plus tons of glass at less than $3 a ton.