Glass Bottle, Jar and Jug Recycling
Collection
Glass containers have to be collected or consolidated prior to it having any great value for reuse or recycling. It is best collected separate from other commodities or at least separate from all paper products. Single stream “recycling” was the practice of mixing all recyclable commodities together for collection and source-separated means that commodities are collected separately at their source. Source separated is how we collect from participating businesses and apartments.
Beneficiation
Once collected, all container glass eventually makes its way to CAP Glass in Mount Pleasant, PA where contaminants are removed and the glass is sorted by color and size. Glass containers are smashed in order to aid in the sortation and separation of glass from metal and plastic lids.
Recycling/ Reuse
Glass bottles and jars are 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without any loss in purity or quality. An estimated 80% of all glass containers recovered for recycling are remelted in furnaces and used in the manufacture of new glass containers. The rest of the glass is reused in reflective paint for traffic markings, abrasives for surface cleanings or are too small/ too contaminated for reuse and therefore end up being landfilled.
