In late July, in coordination with Momentum Recycling, Eagle Mountain City unveiled a new glass recycling drop-off center in Cory Wride Park.
If you’ve recently driven past the park, you may have noticed the new dumpster – it’s rather hard to miss. It’s painted with vibrant hues of blue, orange, and yellow, with silhouettes depicting various outdoor activities home to Eagle Mountain, courtesy of local artist Bill Louis (@biltslouisart).
Evan Berrett, Management Analyst for Eagle Mountain City, spoke about how the location of the glass recycling dumpster was carefully selected.
“We wanted it to be highly visible, so we wanted it to be somewhere where people would not forget about the fact that we have recycling…a constant reminder to them to recycle their glass.”
In addition to serving as a reminder to Eagle Mountain residents to recycle, the dumpster also provides beautiful art for the public to enjoy.
“Because it has a mural on it, it’s a public art piece now,” said Berrett. “We wanted to make sure that got plenty of visibility, not just for the sake of the artist, but so that we could have something to beautify or bring something unique to the city. We don’t want to hide that away.”
The mural on the dumpster also represents what we protect when we recycle: wildlife, landscape, and outdoor recreation.
The recycling drop-off was made possible in coordination with Momentum Recycling, the only major glass recycling center in Utah.
The dumpster at Cory Wride Memorial Park is the latest of over 50 drop-off centers located all along the Wasatch Front provided by Momentum Recycling. Berrett, who was instrumental in bringing the drop-off center to the city, has visited the recycling center in Salt Lake City.
“A question a lot of people have right now, as far as recycling in general goes, is ‘is my recycling actually being recycled, or is it just going to a landfill?’”
Though he can’t speak to the story of cardboard, plastic, or other types of recycling facilities, Berrett says, “The glass recycling is one thing that we can for certain say that, yes, it is being recycled. And not only is it being recycled, but it’s being recycled into materials that we need here in Utah.”
Glass that is processed by Momentum Recycling is recycled into materials for sand-blasting or into fiberglass insulation for homes. “With how many homes are being built in Utah, there’s definitely a huge demand for that,” says Berrett.
In order to recycle responsibly, it’s important to be aware of what materials can and cannot be recycled through the drop-off center. The following materials cannot be recycled at Momentum Recycling and should not be placed in the dumpster:
- Automotive Glass (i.e. windshields)
- Ceramics (i.e. plates & dishes)
- Light Bulbs
- Mirrors
- Porcelain (i.e. plates & dishes)
- Pyrex
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Plastic (including plastic trash bags)
Berrett considers the drop-off center a big win for Eagle Mountain City and encourages all Eagle Mountain residents to use the drop-off center as frequently as possible.
Recycling glass is the easiest and most rewarding form of recycling, and provides each of us an opportunity to protect our planet and the natural resources we enjoy in Eagle Mountain.
For a comprehensive list of where to recycle items Momentum Recycling does not accept, visit the Momentum Recycling Website.
