The city of Akron has decided it will stop recycling glass bottles, saying “it has become much less cost-effective to do so.”

The city of Akron has decided it will not be recycling glass, citing cost concerns for the city and residents.

In a statement, the city said “it has become much less cost-effective to do so.”

"The City is not currently recycling glass bottles. In today’s market, it has become much less cost-effective to do so. Don’t worry if you have glass mixed in your current can, but recycling customers, please be aware of this new standard moving forward. Recycling glass has become a problem nationwide. Recycling is a for-profit industry that relies on the ability to sell reclaimed materials at a profit. Unfortunately, when it doesn’t pay to recycle a given material, Material Recovery Facilities will often stop accepting it, which means Akron has nowhere to send the glass material we collect from residents. We will keep customers informed should the circumstances change and the market begins to accept glass once again, as we strive to be as environmentally conscious as much as our budget allows."

Other areas are still accepting glass.

Cristie Snyder with the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District confirmed that glass is still on their list of recyclable items.

"Glass is still on our list of accepted curbside recycling items," Snyder said in an email to WKYC. "None of the four recycling processors that provide curbside recycling services in Cuyahoga County, including Waste Management, have stopped accepting glass from the cities they serve here."

WKYC reached out to William Steiner, director of the Portage County Solid Waste District, who noted that misinformation has led to concerns from residents on whether their local municipality is still accepting glass.

Glass is still listed as one of the recyclable materials in the Portage County district, but Steiner did note that cost remains a concern.

“It’s just a matter of how much does it cost to get that back into the market,” said Steiner. “For glass, it boils down to trucking. Trucking is expensive.”

In Portage County, the glass is transported to Pennsylvania for processing.

“Last year, just to have our glass processed for the district was $38,000.”

In order to recycle glass in the county, the cost is balanced through fees.

“The bottom line is that because of the cost, it will be backed up to the monthly fees we charge,” said Steiner.

Steiner said the recycling concerns comes at a time when foreign market have imposed restrictions.

“The foreign markets have stopped taking our recyclables,” said Steiner. “The contamination percentage that they want is half a percent.”