Recycle Your Glass Beverage Bottles, Drop-Off May 1

ST. THOMAS, USVI— The University of the Virgin Islands is hosting another Community Glass Drop-Off for the new Glass Crusher Project. Bring your empty glass beverage bottles to the parking lot at the former West Bay Supermarket on May 1 from 9 am to 11:10 am.

Live in the U.S. Virgin Islands? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow U.S. Virgin Islands Patch on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free Patch mobile app on Android or iPhone.

The University recently purchased five glass crushers using a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands. The crushers turn glass bottles into sand which is then used to create sandbags for hurricane season. The Community Glass Drop-Off is part of a larger effort to reduce the number of glass beverage bottles that enter the landfill, while also creating a useful end product.

Please ensure your bottles are glass beverage bottles (no plastic), not broken and do not contain any liquids or food. For example, remember to get the lime wedges out of those empty Corona bottles! Finally, remove all caps and metal sleeves, such as the casing around the neck of the bottle. At this time the glass crushers can only process beverage bottles (beer, wine, spirits) and cannot accept vinegar bottles, sauce jars, or anything that contains food products.

UVI’s Glass Crusher Project is also accepting volunteers, sign up here. Students can receive community service hours. For more information, contact Howard Forbes Jr. at (340) 693-1672 or email howard.forbes@live.uvi.edu.

If you have a news tip or feedback, contact Ashleigh at ashleigh.baldwin@patch.com or 215-534-1014.