Feb 14, 2019 By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read

Mt. Lebanon continues to explore options for recycling glass, including the possibility of the municipality instituting its own collection program.

Glass has been eliminated as a recyclable material under new contracts with Waste Management Inc. for Mt. Lebanon and other South Hills communities. For the time being, area residents can take glass to Michael Brothers Hauling & Recycling, 901 Horning Road, Baldwin Borough, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and 7 to 11 a.m. Saturdays.

Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Resources Council has submitted a memorandum of understanding for a pilot glass-recycling program for Bethel Park, Dormont, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. If the municipalities give the go-ahead, dropoff points would be established on the second Saturday of each month, March through June.

“Basically, that agreement would be for four centralized collection events, one in each community, over a four-month span,” Rudy Sukal, Mt. Lebanon public works director, said. “Each of them would be open to residents from all four communities.”

Sukal also gave a report for Mt. Lebanon commissioners during their Feb. 12 discussion session regarding his investigating the financial implications of the municipality running its own program.

“I know this looks like a pretty substantial outlay in the cost,” he said in providing estimates of about $1.3 million the first year and $500,000 each year after.

An initial outlay of $835,000 would be necessary to purchase equipment, including two large trucks and a smaller one, and to build a structure to house the vehicles. Their upkeep represents a major annual cost driver.

“In my conversations with contractors and people who provide this service, they say it’s typically about $25,000 to maintain one of these trucks. And it would go up, actually, as the trucks got older,” Sukal said. “They’re abused. You’re looking at blades and hydraulic cylinders and hoses that are out five days a week, 52 weeks a year, all weather.”

Fuel is another consideration.

“These things burn about 60 gallons a day,” Sukal explained. “So that’s one of the biggest expenses.”

Regarding personnel, he said the program optimally would involve the hiring of three full-time employees at an annual cost of some $91,000 each, including salary, overtime, benefits and worker’s compensation insurance, which is particularly expensive for waste collectors.

As far as the glass that is collected, Sukal does seen a revenue stream coming in.

“We can probably anticipate break even on getting rid of the material,” Sukal said.

Several options are available for funding the program, including issuance of debt and short-term loans, according to municipal finance director Andrew McCreery. In reference to a possible impact on real estate taxes, he said one-tenth of a mill generates about $280,000 in revenue for Mt. Lebanon.

Sukal said he also has had conversations with representatives of Waste Management “to potentially provide us with a proposal to collect glass separately at the curb, contractually,” and that the company has interest and is in the process of preparing a proposal.