Can you recycle glass?

Glass can be recycled endlessly without losing quality. Though it’s true that most glass products such as bottles and jars can easily be recycled at home, not all can. Heat-resistant glass, like Pyrex, ovenware, and microwave plates, can’t be recycled with other glass items due to their different chemical composition and they do not melt at the same temperature as other glass items. Even mirrors need to be discarded separately from regular glass. London has hundreds of collection centres that can collect and recycle your glass.

  1. Which forms of glass can be recycled?

• Bottles of any colour (soft drinks, juices, water, wine, beer, spirits, food sauces and olive oil)
• Jars of any colour (food, jam, sauces, condiments, baby food, etc.)
• Cosmetics and perfume containers – also known as flacons
• Pharmaceutical packaging or vials 

  2. Which forms of glass can not be recycled at home?

• • Pyrex
  • Ovenware
  • Microwave Plate
  • Light Bulbs
  • Eyeglasses
  • Nail varnish bottles  
  • Glass art
  • Fluorescent lighting tubes
  • Drinking glass (tumbler)
  • Shattered glass
  • Crystal glass

Now that you know what glass you can and cannot recycle, you may be wondering: what do you do with all the things that you can’t easily recycle? 

Try reusing your containers for other purposes, such as storage or decoration. If they’re not broken, you can also donate glass items such as cookware, mirrors and drinking glasses to charity shops, family and friends.  Avoid being a wish-cycler!