Millions of pounds of recyclables escaped the landfill this year in Durango, but many loads of glass dropped by well-meaning residents did not make it to the Durango Recycle Center.

About 21 loads of glass collected at the two free drop-off centers were so badly contaminated with trash, they had to be hauled to the landfill, said Joey Medina, the recycle and trash manager for the city of Durango.

It’s a problem that consistently has gotten worse over the last two years, and, as a result, the city is ending its free glass recycling collection at Town Plaza and the one near north City Market, near 32nd Street and East Second Avenue, on Dec. 18.

Recently, Town Plaza owners also asked the city to remove the bins for glass from behind Wagon Wheel Liquors because of trash and traffic issues, said Levi Lloyd, the city’s director of operations.

“This kind of came down pretty suddenly from the owners of Town Plaza,” he said.

The decision irked some residents dropping off their glass Tuesday. Glass already requires extra effort to recycle because it cannot be picked up as part of the city’s single-stream recycling program.

“It’s a pain enough now to separate the recycling,” said resident Marsh Bull.

The city staff is not planning on replacing the drop-off sites because it has not been able to find a place with good access that does not face a highway, Lloyd said. The only option for residents will be to drop off glass at the Durango Recycle Center in the Tech Center, but that doesn’t appeal to some residents because of its location and parking layout.

“It’s total mayhem trying to get in and out of that parking lot,” said resident Brett Wells.

Despite the elimination, Medina is hopeful the city can maintain the same volume of glass recycling.

So far this year, the city has shipped out about a million pounds of glass to be remade into new bottles by MillerCoors, Medina said.

Even if the volume drops, he expects the glass that does come to the Recycle Center to be much cleaner than the glass picked up from the free drop-off stations.

“If they are making the effort to come up here, they are doing the right thing,” he said.

Glass recycling will remain free because it is not accepted as part of the city’s residential pickup single-stream recycling program.

The city is also going to build a new camera-monitored chute at the Recycle Center for glass that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he said.

Glass cannot be included in the single-stream recycling program because glass can be ground into a fine powder that can ruin cardboard and other fibrous products if it infiltrates them, he said.

However, contamination has not been as serious a problem for the single-stream recycling program, Lloyd said.

Since the program started in 2013, the city has stayed below the 5 percent contamination rate required by the companies that purchase the material.

This year, the city has shipped 111 loads of single-stream recyclables, which includes some plastics, aluminum and cardboard. About 83 percent of city residents participate in the program, and it is still growing by several residents per week, Lloyd said.

A fee for recycling is included on every residential utility bill, and, because of that, the city is aiming for 100 percent recycling participation, he said.

In 2016, those fees will be going up 5 percent to $3.24 for a 60-gallon recycling container and $14.05 for a 60-gallon trash container to help cover costs.

At the same time, the projected revenue from recycling materials will be falling in 2016 because demand from China has fallen, Lloyd said.

At the end of 2014, the city expected to make $186,000 from recyclables, but it is unlikely the city will reach that goal, Lloyd said. Next year, the city expects to make only $70,400 from recyclables, despite adding recyclables from Waste Management customers.

“That is in large part from the commodities market crashing,” Lloyd said.

The sustainable services fund, which includes both trash and recycling services, expects to spend $176,000 from savings next year to cover expenses.

This will help pay for a rate study to determine if residents are paying appropriate fees for services and to see if the city can operate more efficiently, Lloyd said. It will also pay for a sustainability coordinator, who works with many city departments, he said.

Even though a rate study is planned, Lloyd does not expect major changes on bills.

“I don’t foresee we’re going to see huge increases,” he said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com