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Citizens Academy presents recycling outreach and glass-recycling proposals
Summary
Two Citizens Academy teams presented proposals to increase recycling participation in Oak Ridge, including school competitions, bill inserts and TikTok outreach, and a vendor-partnership proposal to restore glass recycling through drop-off containers or a contract with a regional recycler.
Two Citizens Academy teams presented to the City Council on ways to boost recycling in Oak Ridge, offering outreach strategies for residents and operational proposals to bring back glass recycling.
"One of the things we were tasked with in our class was recycling," presenter Anne Magal said, describing outreach ideas to educate residents on what belongs in curbside bins and how to reach audiences who do not receive paper utility bills. The education group recommended school competitions, collaborations with civic youth organizations and social-media content to engage young people.
A separate best-practices group, led in part by Larry Curran, focused on glass recycling operations. Curran said the city currently has no dedicated glass recycling infrastructure and estimated Oak Ridge currently sends about 3,900 tons of glass a year to landfills. He described two implementation options: a lower-cost approach partnering with a nearby county or using a regional providerRecycling Services LLCto place collection containers at county or city convenience centers, and a city-specific option that would site small drop-off containers at high-visibility locations such as the Central Service Complex. "We could also put bins next to companies that have a large glass, kinda like the bars in that with the beer glass and collect those," Curran said.
Council members responded favorably to both presentations. One council member urged the presenters to take their pitch to the school board to expand youth engagement; another recommended partnering with Anderson County for collection and disposal logistics. Staff said the city could add guidance to utility-bill inserts and the municipal website to clarify acceptable materials for curbside recycling.
The Citizens Academy groups framed their recommendations as low-cost, educational steps to improve participation and reduce landfill tonnage; no formal city action was taken during the meeting but council members encouraged staff follow-up and deeper coordination with school and county partners.
