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By Ellie Ritter, contributor

Beginning July 17, DeKalb county will no longer accept glass as a part of curbside recycling collection.

Instead, the DeKalb County Sanitation Division will enact a new glass recycling drop-off program, with an official launch event held Thursday, July 13 at 10 a.m. at the Sanitation Division administration building, located at 3720 Leroy Scott Dr. in Decatur.

Glass contaminates other materials and mostly winds up in landfills under the current program. Avondale Estates stopped accepting glass last year. The city of Decatur began collecting glass in a separate container, resulting in a small increase in collection fees for Decatur residents.

The glass collected at the county drop-off locations will be used for manufacturing new glass containers and fiberglass, the announcement from the county says. Before dropping off glass containers, the county asks that residents rinse all food and liquids.

Also, only food and beverage glass containers that are blue, green, clear or brown glass will be accepted. The drop-off locations will not accept pane glass, light bulbs, ceramic glass or non-beverage and non-food containers.

According to the announcement, the DeKalb County Sanitation Division’s glass recycling drop-off program will have 16 locations with county-operated glass recycling containers, including parks, recreation centers, fire stations, libraries and Target store parking lots.

Residents who don’t want to sort their glass and drop it off at a recycling center should throw it away with the rest of the non-recyclable trash.

Here is a complete list of drop-off locations: