Students now have no place to put their used glass products except trash cans at the University. The University stopped recycling glass at the end of the spring 2008 semester, when the last market for its glass items, a sandblaster in Defiance, Ohio, no longer needed the University’s services, said Duane Hamilton, director of campus services in the facilities department. Another reason for the loss of glass recycling on campus is the loss of glass as a commodity. ‘The economics behind this is a big issue,’ said Ken Reiman, director of the Wood County Solid Waste Management District. Glass is generally made from sand and soot ash, which are both inexpensive raw materials. But recycling the products made from these cheap raw materials does not balance out. Someone can make about $40 for a ton of color sorted clear glass materials, Reiman said. This $40 is quickly dwindled down to nothing after paying around $25 a ton for shipping and $20 for crushing the glass. The final crushed product must also be boxed, which also comes at a price, he said. ‘The value of the material has gone below the cost of the procedure because consumers aren’t buying as much,’ Reiman said. With the lack of cost initiative, the University decided to put a permanent halt on glass recycling services. ‘No one is accepting glass in this economic method,’ Hamilton said. There were early attempts between the University and the Bowling Green Recycling Center to continue recycling glass, but the attempts quickly failed. ‘We offered to take a couple loads, but the glass materials wouldn’t run through the equipment because of contamination,’ Reiman said. Reiman said the Recycling Center found trash bags, aluminum and other materials that could seriously damage the center’s glass crushing machine in the loads of glass recyclables from the University. However, just because the University isn’t in cooperation with the Bowling Green Recycling Center doesn’t mean students are not. ‘Whenever possible I take all my glass items to the Recycling Center so I know they are not completely going to waste,’ said sophomore Cortney Redman, an on-campus resident. Kohl Hall residents also take their glass to the Center. On every floor of the residence hall there are staple trash and recycling receptacles, including a glass one. There was a push from the Kohl Hall Council to continue recycling glass this year and that is what has continued to happen, Kohl Hall resident advisor Chris Weinland said. For students, faculty and staff who wish to continue recycling their glass items, the Bowling Green Recycling Center has a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week drop-off site that accepts glass, paper, aluminum and cardboard.