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The City of Washington is set to begin a glass recycling program, with help from an $18,500 grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service.

The grant requires a $3,800 match from the city. Once implemented, the operation cost of the program will be $24,000 annually.

The city does not accept glass for its curbside recycling service.

“That’ll be a single-stream recycling option, with containers that’ll be dispersed throughout the city,” City Manager Jonathan Russell said. “It’ll be something that you can’t put in your recycling bin, necessarily. It’ll be a single-stream recyclable, where you’d have to take it to a convenience site located within the city that would receive just glass at that location.”

Public Works Director Adam Waters said those containers will be distributed to the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission customers, and city residents will be able to bring their glass to the convenience site.

Waters said specific regulations regarding what can be recycled at the convenience site will be revealed once the program gets closer to implementation.

City Council previously instructed city staff to evaluate and pursue options for glass recycling.