Click on the image above to download a complete copy of this publication in PDF format. Download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Land Resources Glass recycling seems like it should be fairly straight forward. But as is usually the case with recycling, it's only that simple if the sorting and processing of the glass are done correctly before it gets to the meltdown point. At the same time, some recycling centers aren't taking glass because they can't sell it, yet the glass recyclers are saying they can't find enough glass to buy.
Clear glass allows consumers to see a product and that helps sales.
However, some products degrade when exposed to sunlight and so are packaged in green or brown glass. Glass recyclers want these colors kept separated to ensure color consistency of the new container being made. So if one brown bottle is dropped into a clear glass bin and shatters, that pile of clear glass becomes contaminated and the whole pile may end up in the landfill. These kinds of contaminants not only damage the container that is made, they can also damage the processing plant equipment. In general, if it's not a bottle or jar, it may not be recyclable with your glass.