Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that glass recycling isn’t worthwhile and that some municipalities are stopping doing it?

—R. Bigelow, Houston, TX

Dec. 6. Glass recycling has long been touted as a sustainable way to reduce waste and conserve resources. But in recent years—while glass remains theoretically recyclable and environmentally friendly—a growing number of municipalities have been discontinuing glass recycling, citing various challenges.

The high cost of transporting and processing heavy and fragile glass is one such challenge. Recyclers complain that the expense of managing glass outweighs the potential profits. Also, the market for recycled glass has declined due to the availability of cheap virgin materials, as reported by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Tacoma, Wash., is one city that suspended glass recycling due to its costs.

Shattered expectations

Glass recycling also faces significant challenges due to contamination. When glass is mixed with other recyclables in single-stream systems, shards can contaminate paper and plastics, rendering entire batches un-recyclable. And sorting and separating different types of glass—such as colored and clear—adds to the complexity and cost of the process.

Glass recycling does save energy and reduces landfill waste. Producing glass from recycled materials consumes significantly less energy than doing it from raw materials. Furthermore, recycling reduces the need for extracting raw materials like sand, which has its own environmental footprint.

When recycling programs are halted, glass waste often ends up in landfills, where it can take hundreds of years to decompose. This not only increases environmental pollution but also undermines public confidence in the broader recycling system.

Recycling infrastructure

To address these challenges, investment in better recycling infrastructure is needed. Technologies that can separate and process glass more effectively can make recycling programs more viable. Additionally, expanding bottle redemption programs could incentivize consumers to recycle glass responsibly.

Government incentives could encourage manufacturers to incorporate more recycled glass into their production processes, creating a sustainable market for these materials. Collaboration between public and private sectors can also help reduce costs and increase the economic feasibility of glass recycling.

The environmental benefits of glass recycling make it worth preserving. Improved infrastructure, market reforms, and responsible recycling practices can work together to make it a viable solution once again.

CONTACTS: Why glass recycling in the U.S. is broken, https://cen.acs.org/materials/inorganic-chemistry/glass-recycling-US-broken/97/i6; Why is glass recycling going away? https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/why-is-glass-recycling-going-away.

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