GALENA—Since January 2020, when the City of Galena instituted its glass recycling program, more than 688,180 pounds of glass have been collected in the purple glass recycling dumpster in the parking lot of Tammy’s Piggly Wiggly.
Since glass is not accepted in the city’s curbside recycling program, the city partners with the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency and Ripple Glass for glass recycling. Glass deposited in the Galena glass recycling dumpster is processed into glass cullet by Ripple Glass and is turned into new products.
To ensure the program’s continued success, residents are reminded of the program rules. The public is asked to respect the property where the dumpster is located and carefully clean up the area if glass should spill outside of the recycling dumpster. There are no personnel at the drop site, and residents are responsible for depositing your glass in the dumpster. Glass should be dumped into the dumpster without boxes or bags. The glass may break when deposited into the dumpster and that is fine.
The folllowing items are accepted in the purple dumpster with no sorting required:
- All brown, green, blue and clear food and beverage containers
- Drinking vessels (pint, wine, canning jars)
- Candle jars (leftover wax is ok)
- Cosmetic bottles and jars
- Windows, shower doors, tabletops (frames and hardware must be removed)
The following items are not accepted at the drop site and will contaminate the recyclable glass:
- Garbage/trash bags/plastic bags
- Televisions/computer monitors
- Ceramics
- Milk glass
- Cardboard boxes
- Six pack holders
- Laminated glass (windshields)/leaded glass
- Mirrors
- Oven safe glass (Pyrex)/dishware (Corelle)
- Light bulbs
- Porcelain/china
- Windows with frames
Those with questions about glass recycling should call Galena City Hall at 815-777-1050.
