With a blessing from a priest and a press of some buttons from the mayor, Flagler Beach’s new glass recycling machine started breaking down bottles into glass mulch and fine sand-like particles. 

The machine, nicknamed “Big Blue,” was the center of attention during an event on Thursday, the day before Earth Day, at the city's wastewater treatment plant. City commissioners and staff, as well as the public and the press, attended. 

People took home samples of recycled glass and a piece of cake inscribed with the city seal and the words “Thank you for celebrating the arrival of ‘Big Blue’! Honoring Earth Day 2022,” which was Friday, April 22.

City Manager William Whitson said the machine was a great addition to Flagler Beach, which will begin curbside glass recycling on May 4. 

“This is a major step forward for the city of Flagler Beach and, as far as we know, this is the only active glass recycling machine in the state of Florida,” Whitson said.

The event started with some speeches and then Father Manny Lopez led the assembled flock in a blessing.

“May the Lord bless our community of Flagler Beach, bless this machine and this program and bless the future of our beloved Flagler Beach. Bless you all,” Lopez said.

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Rob Smith, the city’s sanitation director, explained how Big Blue worked as officials loaded bottles into the machine. Items don't need to be totally clean of prior contents, he said. Lids and labels can remain on jars.                                     

“I don’t want a full jar of jelly but you don’t need to go crazy washing out, wasting water,” Smith said. 

Then Smith guided Mayor Suzie Johnston through the starting procedure, which called for her to press about a half-dozen buttons. 

Big Blue whirled and clanked as it crushed the glass bottles and a conveyor belt moved the broken glass over a magnet that picked off metal pieces. The broken glass moved farther up the conveyor belt to another section of the machine, which pulverized the glass.

The machine spewed out any pieces of paper and other non-recyclables out of one chute. It then released the glass mulch and finer particles from two other chutes.

The glass mulch was pieces of about ⅜ inch and smaller. The smaller sand-like pieces were ⅛ inch and smaller. 

The glass fragments did not have sharp edges.

“It’s just glass mulch,” said Smith, scooping up a handful. “It can't hurt you. It can be used for landscaping. It’s mulch. It’s a new thing that everybody is starting to use all over the country.”

The fine glass particles can be used in place of sand to fill sandbags or for other projects, like filling potholes, or as an underlay for pavers.

“Public works can use it for projects instead of trucking in sand,” he said.

But the recycled glass sand will not be used on the beach, although it has been used on the beach elsewhere in the state, he said.

He said the city collects about 12 tons of glass a week and Big Blue can recycle 3 to 5 tons an hour.

Once enough is available, the city will sell glass mulch to residents of Flagler Beach and Beverly Beach, which gets its garbage service from Flagler Beach, for $2 a pound, Smith said. 

“We already have quite a few orders,” Smith said.

He said the finer sand-like particles will be used by the city and won’t be sold.

Flagler Beach already recycles cardboard and aluminum. It will start curbside pickup and recycling of glass and tin on May 4.  

"One hundred percent is recycled," Smith said. "There's no hocus pocus going on."

The city does not recycle newspaper and has no plans to, Smith said. He said there wasn't enough newspaper to make it worthwhile to recycle the material.

Big Blue cost the city $200,000, according to Katie Dockhorn, assistant to the city manager. The money came from the solid waste fund plus a $2 recycle fee surcharge, she wrote.

While other cities, like New Smyrna Beach, have stopped picking up glass, Flagler Beach is moving in the opposite direction.

Smith said it makes sense for Flagler Beach. It saves the city trucking cost since the recycling is done in-house and used by the city. The city does it for cost and does not make a profit, he said.

“We just have a small type community. I can honestly say I have 13 of the best employees that I could have that work for me and the department.

"It's not rocket science. It's work," Smith said.

Jude Lisenby, 13, of Flagler Beach, was invited to speak at Thursday's event after writing a letter to the city about conservation.

“I think it’s really great,” he said. “It’s obviously expanding our recycling program. And it’s really going to help the environment here.”

Smith said the city’s next goal is recycling plastic.

Isabella Herrera, a Flagler Beach resident who works for Debris-Free Oceans, wants to help the city with plastic recycling.

She said plastics present a problem because breaking plastic down into smaller pieces, which works for glass, would not work plastic. Smaller plastic pieces create even more hazardous microplastics.

She praised the city’s work recycling glass with Big Blue.

“I think this is an awesome initiative for the city of Flagler Beach’s recycling program,” she said.