What Colour Bin Does Glass Go In?

We use plenty of products on a daily basis made from glass, such as beer, liquid containers, etc. But when you have plenty of glass products that you want to dispose of, you might be worried about deciding what color bin does glass go in. That’s because these recyclables are usually assigned to some specific recycling bins with their unique colors. 

So, please keep reading, and I’ll let you know which color bin suits the best to put glass in. Plus, I will also share more facts about glass and its recycling. Please keep reading!

Can You Recycle Glass?

Among all the materials which can be recycled and converted into raw materials to produce some new products, glass is at the top. 

It is that type of material that can be recycled repeatedly and is 100% recyclable. Without losing value, properties, and other features, it always turns out. 

When it comes to the production of how glass is made or produced, it is usually made by using those readily available domestic materials. 

This includes the Sand, Cullet, Soda Ash, Limestone, and all other stuff like that.

All these materials are heated at a very high temperature of almost 2600 to 2800 degrees Fahrenheit. 

After that, this can be converted to make some glass products, including bottles, glass, and other stuff. 

Overall, it is fully recyclable, and those recycling units can recycle glass and use it for producing some new products by using the raw material resulting from that recycling process. 

Should Glass Be In A Recycling Bin?

Since glass is highly recyclable and can be recycled over and over again, yes, it should be in a recycling bin. 

Because putting the glass pieces and products and organizing them in a dedicated recycling bin will help the recyclable collectors collect and sort these materials. 

It will also help them in maximizing the recycling process of glass. Therefore, glass in the recycling bin is a high trend in many cities in the United States Of America and Worldwide.

If you have some glass products that you don’t know how to dispose of or get rid of, you can put them in a nearby recycling bin. 

But What Color Bin Actually Does Glass Go In?

But as far as putting the glass into the recycling bins is concerned, one should know properly which recycling bin will actually hold this glass. It is because most countries have different recycle bin color code. 

These codes identify the type of recycling bin and things you can put inside that. Most Waste Management Organizations or Local Govt place two to four recycling bins at a certain place. 

It is done to aware people that they should always keep the recyclable organized and sorted. Because it helps the organizations in a speedy recycling process. 

Therefore, knowing which color bin will deserve to hold the glass inside is easier. 

In most countries like the USA, A Blue Recycling Bin is dedicated to keeping all recyclable glass products inside. Otherwise, it can be either black(for landfill glass waste) or yellow, depending on local government regulations. Choose a blue bin for glass if nothing is mentioned in a recycling bin!

So, a blue recycling bin will be placed nearby where you can put all types of glass products before the pickers pick them up for recycling. 

However, if you get confused as you don’t find a blue bin to keep your glass recyclable, read the instructions or tags attached to those bins in front of you. 

You will know which recycling bin is dedicated to keeping which type of recyclable. 

What Type Of Glass Products Should Be In A Blue Recycling Bin?

Glass has a variety of usages in making almost a variety of products. But you can put or keep the following products in a blue recycling bin used for keeping glass items. 

• Glass bottles
• Clear jars made from glass but broken
• That beverage, beer, and soda bottles
• Mixed color glass
• Amber color glass
• Green glass
• Wine Glass bottles
• Sauce jars
• Broken water bottles or beer bottles of glass
• Pickle jars
• Etc. 

Is It Okay To Keep Glass Into Waste Bins That End Up In Landfills?

When a glass product expires, it has two options. Either go to the landfill or recycle. Since we know what will happen at recycling. 

But is it a good idea to make these glass products a part of landfill and garbage waste? Sincerely not. 

The fact is, it takes up to 1 million years for glass to fully decompose in a landfill. Because its decomposition is very slow, and by the time that first thrown glass turns into pieces, there will be some new. 

All of this only results in increasing the size of landfills which ultimately creates bigger environmental concerns such as health problems and air pollution. 

That should not happen, and no glass shall end in landfills because recycling is easier to recycle than making it a big problem for our global system. 

What Type Of Glass Shall Not Go For Recycling But Waste?

Glass has a couple of varieties of products that can be recycled. But not every glass shall go to the recycling center because not every type of glass is recyclable. 

Some types of glass end up in black bins (usually considered waste bins). Some of these products are as follows. 

• Glass Mirror should end up in a landfill. 
• Ceramics is also not recyclable. It shall go to the landfill. 
• Glass, including that laboratory and window glass, is landfill waste as usual
• Auto glass is also a part of landfill waste.
• Standard light bulbs that have gone broken or faulty. 
• Crystal pieces or stuff made from crystal. 

All of these go to the landfills or can be repurposed if you know those other means. But these products are not accepted for recycling purposes. 

Can You Keep Other Materials In A Blue Recycling Bin With Glass?

Yes, a blue bin not only deserves to keep glass inside, but it can also keep some other materials. 

But all of them will be recyclable and sorted and organized at the recycling center before being sent to the recycling machines. These materials include the following. 

• Plastic (all types of plastic water bottles, cans, and containers)
• All types of clean papers, including newspapers, books, shelves, magazines, phone books, and others. 
• Cardboard, including those corrugated boxes. 
• Glass and all products related to it. 
• Metal including stainless steel and aluminum products. 
• Aluminum foil pieces and trays are made from it. 

How To Completely Dispose Of Glass For Recycling?

What if you have collected a lot of wine and beer bottles for a while, and now it is finally the time you want to dispose of them? 

Or you might have some other broken or damaged glass pieces you want to send away from you. 

In both situations, you may learn how to fully dispose of your full glass collection of those products and pieces. 

Please follow the steps below, and you will end your problems related to glass disposal. 

Collect Glass:

At first, look everywhere around and find out the unnecessary glass pieces, products, or whatever you want to throw away inside your house or building. 

Gather them in one place. But be careful while collecting glass. 

In this process, wearing gloves would be better to keep your hands from cuts if there are any sharp glass pieces. 

Once you have collected them at a specific place inside your home, go for the next step. 

Clean That Collected Glass:

Help your local recyclable collectors by providing them with clean glass, which is highly accepted for recycling. 

Make sure that those soda bottles have no remaining liquid inside them. 

Also, ensure that if you have put those jam jars, these must be empty. 

Give a proper check-up to these products and ensure thorough cleaning before going to the next step. 

Pack That Glass And Put It Into A Blue Recycling Bin:

As you already know that glass takes place inside a blue recycling bin. Therefore, you should always find one nearby in your town, down the street, or outside your home. 

But before doing that, put these glass products or broken pieces of glass in some sort of trash bag. 

Once it is done, put these trash bags with glass products in the recycling bin.

Call Your Local Recyclable Collector:

Now, it is finally the time when you need to tell those recyclable collector guys that you have something to offer. 

Search for the nearby recycling center on Recycle Now. 

You can drop off these recyclables even by yourself if you do not expect any pick-up from the recycling center during the week. 

Final Thoughts:

Conclusively, a blue recycling bin is always used to keep glass stuff inside it. But what color bin does glass go in may be decided by the local govt and those people who are responsible for collecting and processing recycling waste from your area. So, I hope that the article has helped you figure out your answer. Let me know in case you have any more queries in your mind. 

But for today, thanks for being here and spending your valuable time. Keep visiting for the latest information about recycling bins and their uses. Have a glorious day!

References:

• Schloss, K.B., Lessard, L., Walmsley, C.S. and Foley, K., 2018. Color inference in visual communication: the meaning of colors in recycling. Cognitive research: principles and implications, 3(1), pp.1-17.
• Chang, E., 2020. Conceptual compatibility of recycle bin color: From a cross‐cultural perspective. Color Research & Application, 45(3), pp.558-566.
• Larsen, A.W., Merrild, H. and Christensen, T.H., 2009. Recycling of glass: accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions. Waste Management & Research, 27(8), pp.754-762.