Glasses

When it comes to glass recycling, it's essential to distinguish between two primary categories: container glass and other glass items. This differentiation arises from the treatment of non-container glass with chemicals aimed at enhancing durability, but regrettably diminishes its recycling potential for products such as windows, mirrors, light bulbs, and glassware.

Here are some crucial considerations to keep in mind:

Two Types of Glass: Glass can be categorized into two main types—container glass, which remains untreated, and non-container glass, which undergoes chemical treatment to increase durability. These two glass types have distinct melting points, preventing them from being processed together.
Handle Glass with Care: Glass items that remain intact hold a higher recycling value, making it advisable to prevent breakage whenever possible.
Specialized Recycling: When it comes to windows and mirrors, they typically require specialized processing by construction and demolition (C&D) recyclers due to their unique characteristics.
Donation Opportunities: If you have unwanted glass items, consider the option of donating them to artists who specialize in working with glass materials or shops focused on recycled architectural elements.
Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) possess a significant recycling market, primarily due to their mercury content, a valuable yet toxic metal. Proper recycling of CFLs helps prevent the release of mercury into the environment. In contrast, incandescent bulbs, halogens, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) do not contain mercury, making the cost of collecting and recycling their glass less justified by the material's intrinsic value.

Glasses, windows, : non-treated glasses

To dispose or recycle large windows:

Check local regulations and guidelines.
Remove non-glass components if necessary.
Consider reuse or donation if the windows are in good condition.
Contact local glass recycling facilities or construction and demolition (C&D) recycling centers for recycling options.
Arrange for proper transportation to the recycling facility.
If recycling is not available, follow your local waste management or landfill's disposal procedures.
Prioritize safety when handling large windows to avoid breakage or injury.

Bottles, drinking glasses, bowls and etc: non-treated glasses

Here are the steps on how to recycle bottles, drinking glasses, bowls, and other non-treated glasses:

1. Rinse and clean: Rinse out any food or beverage residue from the glass containers. Remove any lids, caps, or labels that are not made of glass.

2. Dry the glass: Dry the glass containers thoroughly to prevent mold or mildew growth.

3. Sort the glass: Separate the glass containers by color. Many recycling programs require sorting glass by color to facilitate processing.

4. Place glass in designated bins or containers: Place the sorted glass containers in the designated bins or containers for recycling. If you have curbside recycling, place the glass in the designated recycling bin on your scheduled collection day.

Additional tips:

Remove any metal lids or caps. These can be recycled separately.
Break the glasses into smaller pieces. This will make them easier to transport and recycle.
Don't include light bulbs, Pyrex dishes, or mirrors in your recycling bin. These items can contaminate the recycling stream.

Light Bulbs

For the details of recycling and disposal of light bulbs, click the link HERE.

How about eyeglasses and sunglasses

According to the World Health Organization, there are over 2 billion people around the world who need eyeglasses but don’t have access to them. So if you have a pair of old but still functional eyeglasses lying around in your closet, don’t throw them away. Donate them instead.

Aside from helping people, you’ll also be doing mother earth a favor. They won’t end up in landfills and those plastic rims won’t add up to the pollution in our environment.

If you’re planning to donate old eyeglasses, here are the places you can check out: