Birmingham Recycling Center Temporarily Stops Taking Glass

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2016/08/Glass_Bottles_AEC.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1278;s:4:"file";s:29:"2016/08/Glass_Bottles_AEC.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-771x513.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:513;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-768x511.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:511;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:31:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-1536x1022.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1022;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:29:"Glass_Bottles_AEC-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:3583461;s:14:"optimized_size";i:586686;s:7:"percent";d:83.629999999999995;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:57:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Glass_Bottles_AEC.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3555877;s:14:"optimized_size";i:559428;s:7:"percent";d:84.269999999999996;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Glass_Bottles_AEC-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:12557;s:14:"optimized_size";i:12508;s:7:"percent";d:0.39000000000000001;}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:63:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Glass_Bottles_AEC-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:4758;s:14:"optimized_size";i:4596;s:7:"percent";d:3.3999999999999999;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:65:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2016/08/Glass_Bottles_AEC-125x125.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:10269;s:14:"optimized_size";i:10154;s:7:"percent";d:1.1200000000000001;}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Lessie Dingler
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

)
1654907422 
1517384196

If you’ve been saving glass bottles to haul to Birmingham’s recycling center, you’ll need to hold onto them a little longer. The Alabama Environmental Council temporarily stopped taking glass at its recycling center in Avondale last week.

Alabama Environmental Council executive director Felicia Buck says two companies, one in Tennessee and one in Georgia, had been picking up the glass. But that’s broken down over the last few months. Buck says the Tennessee company had promised since last summer to pick up the glass. But they kept pushing that back until the Birmingham recycling center just didn’t have room to hold the glass anymore.

Meanwhile, the bottles and jars are piling up. The center takes in an average of 10 tons of glass a week. Buck calls it the “Mount Everest of glass.”

She says right now they’re pulverizing the glass, and once they make it through the backlog, the recycling center can accept it again from the public. She hopes that’s in three to four weeks.

But there’s also the issue of where this pulverized glass goes. Buck says it has a lot of uses.

“It can be used for mulch for landscaping,” says Buck. “It can be used in construction industry and fillers for paving roads. All kinds of things.”

However, not that many people or businesses in Alabama use pulverized glass. Bond says her organization is trying to raise awareness among construction companies and others to create a local market for the glass. That way instead of shipping it out of state, the benefits can be felt at home.

 

Looking into Alabama’s ‘Blood Money’: how taxpayers foot the bill for lawsuits by prisoners

The Alabama Department of Corrections settled more than 100 lawsuits against its corrections officers for excessive use of force since 2020. Inmates say officers left them with broken bones and brain damage. Beth Shelburne, a Birmingham-based independent investigative reporter, found that taxpayers are covering the cost in her four-part series for the Alabama Reflector called "Blood Money."

TikTok superstar Khaby Lame was detained by ICE before being allowed to leave the U.S.

Lame, 25, produces nearly silent videos that have made him the most-followed personality on TikTok. But U.S. officials say Lame, an Italian citizen, overstayed his visa earlier this month.

After ICE raids in LA, families of those detained are desperate for answers

Families of people who were detained by ICE in immigration raids say they haven't been able to make contact with their loved ones or even find out where many of them are being held.

Bolsonaro takes the stand in historic Brazil coup trial

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro took the stand Tuesday, accused of plotting a coup to cling to power after losing the 2022 election. It's the first time a former Brazilian leader is being tried for attempting to overthrow the government.

How a forgotten tape recorder led to Tunde Adebimpe’s debut album

The TV on the Radio cofounder talks about making Thee Black Boltz.

A dad accused of killing his 3 young daughters is on the run. Here’s what to know

Travis Decker is accused of suffocating his daughters during a recent camping trip in Washington. Authorities say the Army veteran is "well versed in wilderness survival" and considered dangerous.

More Front Page Coverage