Glass has become one of the most used materials in the world.  From holding our food to insulating our homes, glass has become an essential material in daily life.   With so much glass around, you might have wondered to dispose of glass once it has served its purpose. Let's take a look at how you can properly dispose of glass.

Can Glass Be Recycled?

Glass is one of the most recyclable materials used today. Recycled Glass requires less energy during manufacturing than making new glass.  That means recycled glass reduces carbon emissions and prevents new materials from being mined and used.

Is All Glass Recyclable?

All glass is not recyclable.  Most food containers and beverage containers are recyclable, but items like mirrors and windows are not recyclable.  Most types of light bulbs are also non-recyclable.  You can check with your local glass recycler to see if they accept light bulbs.

Glass that can't be recycled:

• Windows

• Mirrors

• Windshields

• Crystal

• Cookware and decorative pieces.

• Glass that is heat resistant, like Pyrex.

• Lightbulbs

How To Recycle Glass

When you are recycling glass at home, you will want to rinse out glass containers that contain food.  Food contaminates glass recycling and increases odor.  By rinsing out your glass, you are making it easier on the recycler.

You also want to remove any lids from your glass recycling including corks.  

If you want to go above and beyond, you can remove the labels from your glass.  These get burned during the recycling process and produce more fumes. 

Where to Take Your Glass

You can either decide to drop off your glass at a local recycling center or a local drop off location.  You can also have curbside glass recycling depending on where you live.  Curbside glass recycling makes it easier to get in the habit of recycling glass, but you can also stockpile your glass in a container until you need to go drop it off.

What Happens to Glass After It's Recycled?

After your glass has been collected, it is sent to a processor where it is cleaned, sorted, and crushed.  Once your glass has been processed, it is sold to companies to be made into containers and other applications such as fiberglass. 

Products made from recycled glass:

• Glass containers

• Fiberglass

• Recycled glass countertops

• Foam aggregate

• Ground cover

Creatively Recycling Your Glass

You can also reuse your glass in creatives ways like making DIY lights, using containers like cups, etc or using bottles as candle holders.  You can search Pinterest for a lot of good ideas on how to creatively use glass bottles and containers.

Conclusion

Glass is one of the most used materials today and has many different applications.  While not all glass is recyclable,  glass that is is one of the most recyclable materials