Everything's better with a touch of glass: Creativity, cooperation bring glass recycling back to region

Glass recycling is back in the city of Winchester and Frederick and Clarke counties. And the path it is rendering is bedazzling. This is a story of one regional problem, three different yet related localities, and three solutions that are as unique as each place.

The late 2010s were a bad time for glass recycling, here and elsewhere. Frederick County, Clarke County and Winchester each found during the latter part of that decade that it was no longer economically feasible to continue their methods of glass recycling. At that time, glass was either collected curbside or at refuse convenience centers, depending on the locality. Glass was sorted and recycled by scrap reclamation facilities.

By 2016, Frederick County officials agreed to suspend glass recycling because there was no longer a local market that accepted the material, China changed what it would accept and the cost of using glass as landfill cover was prohibitive. Frederick County Solid Waste Manager Gloria Puffinburger is “excited to be able to recycle glass again," she said. "But, back in 2016, we didn’t have a market for it, so we had no choice. No one likes to see a program curtailed.”

Similarly, according to a 2019 article in The Winchester Star, Winchester Recycling Coordinator Michael Neese said it became difficult for reclamation facilities to find markets for glass (and some plastic) recyclables. The prospects of shipping recyclables overseas, especially small lots from small cities, decreased as China scaled back accepting imports. It became more economically viable for overseas reclamation operations to shift their attention to collecting from big cities instead.

This meant the cost of local glass recycling efforts became overwhelming for many jurisdictions which previously provided the service to citizens. Winchester, Frederick County and Clarke County simply did not have the equipment needed to recycle and repurpose glass.

Back in 2019, Neese said, “It’s a setback and it’s disappointing, but I don’t accept that as a forever answer.”

He is not the only person who refused to take “no” for an answer. Citizens were vocal about having to toss glass pasta sauce jars, wine bottles and pickle jars straight into the trash. Sure, some people found ways to reuse glass containers, repurposing them as funky vases or as shaker jars for protein powder shakes. But, one only needs so many of those around. So, most people had to get used to chucking glass in the trash.

Ouch.

Fast forward to 2023, which tells a different story: the three localities all now have collection spots and/or access to glass crushers that can handle glass recycling.

In Clarke County, a citizen’s volunteer effort has cut through red tape like a sharp shard. “Instead of waiting for someone else to fix a problem, she went out and tackled it on her own,” Clarke County Administrator Chris Boies said about Christi McMullen.

McMullen purchased a glass crusher about a year ago when she found out that only 10% of glass was being recycled in Virginia. She did some research, bought a machine that can turn glass into clean, reusable cullet (crushed glass) or sand and volunteered to collect glass from Clarke County's convenience site on Quarry Road.

McMullen and a couple of volunteers work out of her garage and process about two to three loads of glass per weekend. She spends about 30 to 50 hours per week on her glass recycling hobby. Since May of 2022, she has kept nearly 48,617 glass bottles and jars out of the landfill and crushed 39,028 pounds of glass.

“The main goal is to make sure this glass lives another life,” McMullen said. She offers white, green and brown sand to neighbors for use in agriculture and art projects.

“I received 8,384 pounds in December," she said. "It is so wonderful to see people excited about recycling, and everyone I’ve met has been so supportive of the project. Every bottle helps!”

McMullen welcomes others to get involved. “I would love to see more education regarding recycling and more partnerships within our community for litter control and recycling. I am proud of our little glass project. But, I am just one person," she said. "If we could get more people involved, we could really make a difference.”

If you want more information or want to volunteer with McMullen, check out Glass Recycling Clarke on Facebook and Instagram or shoot her a message at [email protected]. Clarke County citizens can drop off clean bottles and jars at the Clarke County Convenience Center. All nonglass lids and caps should be removed.

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Glass recycling is not a money maker, according to Puffinburger. However, she notes, it is valuable. Frederick County citizens have saved 60,560 pounds of glass bottles and jars from going into the landfill this year. She is grateful citizens have been following protocol and not intermixing glass with plastic, paper or putting glass that is not recyclable (like mirrors or baking dishes) into the bin. Making sure drop-offs aren't “contaminated” translates to savings.

Frederick County spends about $1,200 a month to take glass recyclables to Fairfax County to be crushed. The Fairfax County facility then sells the cullet to a purchaser who makes it into new glass bottles.

“We’re not in it for the money. We’re in it to divert that material from the landfill. Anything you can convert to a new commodity without having to mine new material is for the greater good! Anything that reduces emissions is for the greater good!” Puffinburger said.

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Winchester literally took a slightly different path than Frederick and Clarke counties. The evidence of the city's glass recycling can be seen (and touched and trod upon). Winchester bought its own glass crusher last year for $64,372 and has since crushed 17 tons of glass, according to Neese.

Neese has been working with the city’s various departments and others to find the best use for the soft, yet sturdy crushed glass.

One recently completed project can be enjoyed by anyone craving a little outdoor time. The formerly often muddy path that wends through Shawnee Springs “Healing Park” has been transformed into a funky, storybook-like bejeweled path. Bits of cobalt blue, translucent green and shimmering clear glass bits come together with sand to form a soft surface trail that feels a bit like a beach underfoot. The unexpected pops of color, the way the glass path shimmers in the sunlight and the sensation of walking on a sandy beach can bring unexpected brightness on even the grayest of days.

McMullen came to Winchester recently to see the trail and talk with Neese about how the crushed glass she has created in Clarke County might be used in other trails, art projects and more. Neese says feedback from citizens about Shawnee Springs Park has generally been very positive. Plans to integrate crushed glass into more landscaping and artistic projects in the city this spring are in the making.

Here's a list of where to drop off clean, lid-free glass bottles and jars. Other glass objects like ceramic plates, decorative glass, window panes, light bulbs, crystal, bake ware, mirrors and windshields should not go into the glass recycling bins. Labels are OK on the bottles and jars.

Frederick County: Regional Landfill (146 Landfill Road)

Clarke County: Clarke County Convenience Center (90 Quarry Road)

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