Is glass recyclable?

Absolutely! Nearly any type of glass can be recycled and is one of the cheapest and most efficient materials to recycle. Furthermore, glass is infinitely recyclable without any reduction in quality. The production of recycled glass uses 35% less energy than making glass from raw materials, in turn producing less greenhouse gases.

Glass is one material that we don’t necessarily need to cut back on using–in fact, we should actually consider increasing its usage in seeking to replace plastic as much as possible. Glass is so much more environmentally friendly than plastic: it is composed of natural substances like sand and limestone, whereas plastic is fossil fuel-based, contains numerous chemicals (some toxic), and is not biodegradable, creating microplastics that cover the earth.

Despite the benefits and relative ease of recycling glass, Americans only recycle about one-third of glass per year. Unfortunately, glass is not biodegradable and takes around 4,000 years (some sources say a million years) to break down in a landfill, taking up precious space. The landfill is the last place that glass should end up.

Reusing Glass

Before automatically tossing glass, consider repurposing bottles and jars. Some glass reuse ideas include:

• Loose change (or swear jar?)
• Vases, planters, or centerpieces
• Candles
• Food
  • Leftovers
  • Freezer container
  • Snacks
  • Bulk foods
  • Spices
  • Jam, jellies, or sauces
  • Sourdough starter
  • Herbs – dried or fresh (put fresh cilantro or parsley stem-side down in a bit of water, lid on, and it will last much longer than in the produce bag!)
  • Holding foods that were originally packaged in plastic
• Holder for pencils & pens, makeup brushes, or kitchen utensils
• Gifts, like pancake or brownie mix
• Drinking glasses

How to Recycle Glass

Even if you don’t partake of wine or beer, you probably use a lot more glass bottles than you think…pickle jars, jams, salsa, condiments, and beauty products. And if you are trying to decrease the amount of plastic in your life, your glass use will likely increase.

In general, collect glass separately from the rest of your mixed recycling (plastic, paper, and aluminum) unless otherwise directed by your local recycling collector. Most prefer to collect glass apart from other recyclables because shards of broken glass can contaminate other materials, making them difficult to recycle. Buyers of recyclable materials will pay less for these commodities (especially paper) if collected along with glass, which is not financially beneficial for the collecting municipalities and companies.

Check with your local municipality whether curbside glass pickup is offered. If it is not, or you don’t want to pay for this service, find your nearest drop-off location. They are often located in parking lots.

What types of glass can be recycled?

Empty glass bottles, jars, and vials of any color from items like beverages, condiments, jarred foods, oil & vinegar, spices, sauces, vases, drinking glasses & cups, and beauty product containers. You can recycle broken glass.

• Remove corks, caps, and lids and recycle separately as able.
• You do not need to wash or rinse the glass, nor do you need to remove the labels.
• Keep bottles and jars loose–do not bag.

What glass items are not recyclable?

• Ceramics or pottery, including dishes. Donate if in good condition, otherwise throw broken pieces will most likely have to go in the trash. Some recycling facilities that accept bricks and concrete may also accept ceramics, so check with a paving recycler near you.
• Pyrex – This glass has been treated to withstand very high temperatures so it cannot be recycled with regular glass. I emailed the company and they don’t offer a recycling service and suggested contacting local municipality and retailers. However, I haven’t been able to find anything, locally or mail-in.
• Mirrors – The glass has a reflective coating on the back which makes it not recyclable.
• Fish tanks/Aquariums – Donate or sell. Or try one of these upcycling ideas. I haven’t found any recycling options.

The following items can be recycled, but not along with standard glass collection.

• Windshields – Check with companies like Safelite about their recycling programs.
• Light bulbs – Besides glass, light bulbs contain metal and other materials (some hazardous) that are difficult to separate from the glass portion and require special handling. Learn how to recycle light bulbs here.
• Windows – Learn how to recycle windows.

What happens to the glass?

Glass ends up in a recycling facility, where it is processed to make new glass or other materials such as insulation. Below is a super cool video highlighting the glass recycling process at Momentum Recycling’s facility in Salt Lake City, the only one of its kind in the state of Utah.