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Midvale youth ask council to expand glass collection points; staff notes transfer station opening Oct. 1
Summary
Two Midvale high‑school students urged the city to add four or five glass collection drop boxes at high‑foot‑traffic locations to reduce landfill volume and support local recycling markets; staff noted that TransJordan’s new transfer station opens Oct. 1 and will include a glass‑recycling bin.
Two students from Midvale’s youth council presented a proposal to the city council on Sept. 2 asking the city to add four to five public glass collection points at high‑foot‑traffic locations (schools, parks, shopping centers) to increase local glass recycling and reduce landfill volume.
Kirtana Perla and Natalia (last name given in transcript) argued Midvale currently has one city glass drop‑off point for more than 36,000 residents and that Utah’s statewide glass recycling rate is low. They said visible, conveniently located bins would increase participation, reduce hauling trips for recyclers and create feedstock for local uses such as landscape aggregate or glassphalt. Their specific asks were that public works identify candidate sites, coordinate pickup logistics with recyclers, and return with an implementation proposal.
City response and context The mayor and council praised the students’ work and asked staff to evaluate options. Councilors noted several private businesses (for example some Targets) already accept glass, and staff reminded the group that the TransJordan transfer station opening Oct. 1 will include an additional public glass drop‑off point at 700 West (initially limited hours, then daily) and will accept other recyclables as well. Council members acknowledged cost is a factor but encouraged staff to review East Side collection options; the mayor asked staff to consider moving or temporarily replacing a collection point that is in the path of an upcoming street project on the west side.
Next steps Council asked public works staff to research 4–5 candidate locations on the east and west sides of the city, coordinate with haulers/recyclers (Momentum and others), estimate costs and logistics, and report back to the council with a proposal.
