Author: Catherine Carvell

Did you know ?

Glass is 100% recyclable.

It can be recycled a MILLION times over and the quality of glass will be JUST AS GOOD.

Glass was discovered OVER 5000 YEARS AGO (2900 BC) which makes it one of the oldest forms of packaging.

Glass is made from soda ash, sand and limestone and comes in three main colours.

1) Clear

2) Green (which includes blue glass)

3) Brown or amber.

The colour of the glass is determined by how much iron is in the sand used to make the glass and the different amounts of soda ash and limestone used.

Recycling glass reduces the need to quarry for new sand and supplies. This preserves natural resources and the environment.

It takes less energy to melt recycled glass than to melt new raw materials. In fact, every ton of recycled glass turned into new products saves 315 kilograms of extra carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

So, recycling saves both natural resources and energy.

If you don’t recycle glass, it will take anywhere from 4000 to 1 million years to break down in landfill.

Reduce and Reuse.

As glass is 100% recyclable, try to choose glass containers over plastic or paper.

When picking glass products, look for the recycle symbol.

Think of ways to reuse glass jars and bottles. For example you could use them as vases, food containers, water bottles or as candle holders. What other ideas can you think of?

How to recycle glass.

Prepare the glass by removing any lids or caps.

Rinse all bottles (remember to conserve water).

During recycling, different glass furnaces are used for each colour. If the colours are mixed, the recycled glass will be discoloured, and unusable.So it is very important to separate the colours.

Some forms of glass cannot be recycled.

Window or windscreen glass, drinking glasses, mirrors, oven-proof or heat-treated glass (e.g. Corning Ware, Pyrex or Vision Ware), light globes, laboratory and medical glass are not suitable for recycling.

These non-recyclable glass items can cause defects in new glass bottles and jars made from recycled material, so it is important you don’t include them in your recycling bin.

When recycling, ensure you don’t include china, ceramics or stones with glass bottles and jars. It can lead to the rejection of thousands of bottles and jars collected for recycling.

Take care not to shatter glass bottles and jars when you place them in the recycling bin. While most bottles and jars will break during collection and transportation, the pieces are more likely to be larger and more easily sorted if the bottle is still intact when you put it in your bin.

Where can I recycle glass?

In Australia green, brown and clear glass bottles and jars can be dropped off at nominated SITA facilities. To find your closest centre, you can contact them on 13 13 35.  Alternatively, you can do a search on their contact page.

SITA also provides collection services for glass recycling. Call Customer Service on 13 13 35 for more information.

Green, brown and clear glass bottles and jars can also be placed in kerbside recycling bins provided by most councils. Some councils will also accept other colours – contact your local council for more information.

Other countries do things differently. For example, in Singapore certain HDB and private housing estates have recycling programs and there are also collectors and/or traders in common recyclable materials (such as glass).