Event uncorks importance of glass recycling

Glass is one of the few materials that doesn’t lose quality after it’s recycled.

But before disposed bottles, mirrors and lenses are crushed, melted and shaped into new products, people have to bring them to centers that send recycled glass to treatment plants.

Molly Brooks, Recycle Utah’s director of outreach and communications, said it’s important for the Park City nonprofit to maintain its glass-collection options, which is why she helped plan the annual Uncorked fundraising event.

“We’re the only place in town that collects glass,” Brooks said. “We have two big glass Dumpsters: One is for brown glass and one is for clear and green glass. We also have a small bin for blue glass.”

The sixth annual Uncorked is scheduled from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, June 23, at the Recycling Center at 1951 Woodbine Way. It costs $7 to attend and all proceeds will go to Recycle Utah’s glass-collection program, which includes recycling bins at the center and at four drop-off locations placed throughout the Park City area.

Brooks said singer Courtney Spaulding and local band The Mondays are expected to perform, adding that she planned for cocktails, beer and wine to be available.

“Freshies Lobster Company will be there selling food,” Brooks said. “They’ll have sandwiches and salads and that kind of thing. Wasatch Creamery will also be there selling ice cream.”

The scheduled festivities will be a way to celebrate the nonprofit’s important program, Brooks said.

All the glass collected at the center is brought to Momentum Recycling in Salt Lake City. The glass is then sorted and crushed into particles that are sent to places that turn brown glass into bottles and green and clear glass into fiberglass insulation.

Brooks said recycling glass helps save room in Summit County’s landfill. The practice also conserves resources that would otherwise be used to make new glass, she added.

“Every time we throw it away and we don’t reuse it, we’re going to have to make more glass,” Brooks said. “That’s sand from beaches and using more energy and more water to create new glass, rather than recycling it and reusing it. It just takes more resources to create new glass than to recycle it.”

The sixth annual Uncorked fundraiser is scheduled from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, June 23, at the Recycling Center at 1951 Woodbine Way. It costs $7 to attend and all proceeds will go to Recycle Utah’s glass-collection program.