Is glass recyclable?

Absolutely! Glass is one of the cheapest and most efficient materials to recycle. Furthermore, itis infinitely recycable 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 of the materials that we don’t need to reduce our use of. 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

Consider possible reuses of glass before opting to recycle it. There are numerous uses.

Some glass reuse ideas include:

• 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!)
• Holder for pencils & pens, makeup brushes, or kitchen utensils
• Gifts, like pancake or brownie mix
• Drinking glasses

How to Recycle Glass

In general, collect glass separately from mixed recycling, unless otherwise directed. Shards of glass can contaminate other products, making it difficult to recycle. As a result, recyclers will pay less for commodities like paper if it was collected along with glass, which is not beneficial for the collecting municipalities and companies.

Even if you don’t partake of wine or beer, I think you probably use a lot more glass bottles than you think…pickle jars, jams, salsa, condiments, beauty products. And pickup is only monthly, so you have time to accumulate enough to make it worth signing up.

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

What types of glass can be recycled?

Empty glass bottles and jars of all colors from items like beverages, condiments, jarred foods, oil & vinegar, spices, sauces, vases, drinking glasses & cups, and beauty product vials, jars, and bottles. Broken glass is ok.

• 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 accepted in municipal recycling?

• Ceramics, including dishes. Donate if in good condition, otherwise throw in the trash. I haven’t been able to find a recycling option for this.
• Windshields. Check with companies like Safelite about their recycling programs.
• 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.
• Light bulbs. Bulbs contain other materials (some hazardous) that should not be mixed with glass.
• Windows. Read how to recycle windows.
• Fish tanks/Aquariums. Donate or sell. Or try one of these upcycling ideas. I haven’t found any recycling options.
• Mirrors. The glass has a reflective coating on the back which makes it not recyclable.

What happens to the glass?

Glass ends up in a recycling facility, such as Momentum Recycling in Salt Lake City, 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’s facility, the only one of it’s kind in the state of Utah.