Recycle glass bottles
Why This is Green
What’s not to love about glass? It’s not petroleum-derived, it doesn’t leach unwanted and potentially harmful chemicals into your food, and, unlike plastic and paper, it can be recycled infinitely. A glass containing your beverage today could be the glass containing your spaghetti sauce tomorrow. While only a quarter of glass containers are recycled each year, nearly 90 percent of what’s collected is remade into new containers, according to the EPA.
Recycling glass significantly reduces resource demands and avoids both landfill costs and expansion. For every ton of glass that is recycled, over a ton of natural resources are saved. Recycling glass even saves energy—recycling just one bottle saves enough to run your computer for 30 minutes (that's 400 watt hours)! Recycled glass can be turned back into glass bottles or used for other items, including jewelry, fiberglass insulation, kitchen counters, and even to stem beach erosion.
If you live in a state where glass beverage containers have a redemption value, recycling glass can even be a source of extra cash. Enlist your kids to collect and recycle glass bottles as a way of earning spending money.
Learn More
- PracticallyGreen.com: How To Avoid Mountains Of Holiday Garbage--Recycling Tips From “Trash Tutorial” Pro
- YouTube: Recycle One Glass Bottle At A Time
- EPA.gov: Wastes--Resource Conservation--Common Wastes And Materials--Glass
- Glass Packaging Institute: Glass Recycling Fast Facts
- EPA.gov: Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling And Disposal In The United States
How To
If your town has a recycling program, get the blue bin, and start recycling what you can't reuse.
If your town doesn’t have a recycling program, ask for one. In the meantime, find a store or a center willing to take back anything that involves a bottle deposit on the links listed below.
