Five Tips for Recycling Glass

Very few materials can be recycled over and over again with little to no effect on their strength, quality, or integrity.

One of those materials, however, is glass, which is good, because it’s everywhere. In fact, take a look around your office or facility right now. Odds are there is glass somewhere within your line of sight.

Glass is made from sand, soda ash, limestone, and cullet, which is the industry term for furnace-ready scrap glass. Sand and cullet are the two most common glass ingredients, all of which are mixed and heated to a temperature of 2,600 to 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Glass is then molded to its desired shape.

Glass containers used for food, pop, beer, wine, and liquor represent the largest source of glass waste. Other common sources include furniture and consumer appliances.

According to the EPA, Americans generated 11.5 million tons of glass waste in 2011, but only 28 percent of that glass was recycled. That number could easily be higher, as glass is 100 percent recyclable and can be recycled several times over. In fact, 90 percent of recycled glass is used to make new glass containers. Other glass is used in kitchen-floor tiles, counter tops and as insulation.

Here are five things your business should keep in mind when recycling glass.

1) Don’t break it

Broken glass can be recycled, but it might not be recycled to its previous state. In other words, if you recycle a broken bottle, the resulting glass will likely not be made into a new glass bottle. That glass could still be used as an additive in fiberglass or tile, but it’s best to maintain the integrity of the recycled glass as much as possible. It’s also safer for your handler if he or she can avoid handling broken glass.

2) Keep them separated

Non-container glass, which is glass used for windows, mirrors, etc., is typically treated with chemicals and therefore has a different melting point than, say, a glass bottle. Thus, you should typically not combine non-container glass with container glass when recycling.

3) Color matters–sometimes

Some recycling haulers require that you separate glass by color; others do not. If yours does not, this is called single-stream recycling, meaning that all glass products can be combined into one bin, and the material will be separated later. Not all recyclers, however, offer single-stream recycling.

Why does color matter? Because glass can be recycled over and over, it’s important to maintain its original color as much as possible. Mixing two different colors of glass will result in a different, and possibly unwanted, color of glass–just as mixing two different colors of paint will result in a different, and possibly unwanted, color of paint.

Please consult with your recycler about its policies.

4) Keep it clean

Many recyclers ask that you clean your glass before recycling it. If the glass has residue–such as sugar, for example–it becomes sticky and can attract bugs. The same holds true for other glass containers used for food and beverages.

Glass is typically cleaned during the recycling process, but upfront cleaning on your end makes for a more seamless recycling experience.

5) Be patient

Glass weighs more than other waste items (like aluminum) and isn’t as flexible as other waste items (like cardboard). This can make storing and recycling class more cumbersome and, potentially, more costly.

Still, recycling glass is a worthwhile endeavor, as it saves energy and reduces the consumption of raw materials.

Thankfully, the United States is catching on. According to the EPA, Americans recycled roughly 750,000 tons of glass in 1980. By 2011, that number had jumped to three million tons.

“Glass is one of the easiest waste products to recycle,” Pegasus-Sustainability CEO Mark Hope said. “It’s also one of the most important.”

Please contact Hazardous Waste Experts for more information about recycling glass at 800-936-2311.