It's the weekend, and environment conscious beer consumers all across the Granite State are facing an old dilemma, with a new twist.

Glass, or can?

According to the Concord Monitor, changes in the beer industry, along with China's continued crackdown on recycled items, are making it harder for New Hampshire in the recycling department. Michael Dufor, executive director of the Northeast Resource Recovery Association told the Monitor, “We’re seeing contracts more and more that say: ‘We’ll pick up your single-stream (recycling), but no glass,’ ”

Financial breakdowns in the recycling industry continue, and glass is certainly affected. China has become increasingly scrupulous with their choice of items to recycle.

Defor continued to the Concord Monitor " There is still good money to be made for source-separated material,”  Clean cardboard can bring $100 a ton, some plastics $400 a ton and cans as much as $1,000 a ton. “But you’ve got to have clean product and you’ve got to separate it out.” A process which is costly.

Last week, Hooksett announced they would not be recycling glass. “Glass has always been hard to find markets for, but with local glass disposal sites closing down, we have no markets at all,” The announcement suggested residents to put glass in the trash.

Earlier this year, a glass bottle manufacturing plant closed in Medford, Ma, citing a decline in the sales of national beer brands, and rise in craft brews. This closure has a rippling affect, as the plant bought 2,000 tons of recycled glass annually, according to the Monitor.

 

 

 

 

 

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