Zero Waste Sustainably & Affordably

GLASS RECYCLING DIRECTORY!

by Kennedy Hammond on Jul 03, 2025

GLASS RECYCLING DIRECTORY!

Ah! The struggles of recycling... Does it need to be this hard? No. But is it? YES! 

Depending on what state you live in there are MANY restrictions around what can be recycled & what can’t. & I believe the reason why we have such low turnaround rates for recycling is because citizens (in the US at least) are not being directly educated on what to recycle & how to properly recycle it. I’m hoping this blog will help provide you a little bit more clarity around glass recycling so hopefully as a country we can get our glass recycling numbers up, resulting in more products being made from recycled glass versus brand new glass & also, creating more of a circular economy all around. 

Here are 5 ways you can recycle your glass no matter where you visit in the U.S.

  1. CHECK YOUR CITIES WEBSITE- every city or county in the United States has their own city website where they breakdown the waste management system. They will tell you what kind of bins your city offers (waste, recycling, & compost are the most common) & what exact items can be put in each of those totes. So check with your city FIRST! Because your cities waste management is already paid for by your tax dollars & you might as well use it, if they got it!
  2. EARTH 911- Earth 911 is the ULTIMATE recycling directory (besides this blog you're reading LOL). Simply pull up their website & search for whatever you're looking to recycle whether it be shoes, clothes, paint, glass, etc & they will tell you exactly where to go & how to recycle
  3. FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE- "Buy Nothing Groups" are the holy grail & a melting pot for small business owners looking to grab items for their business FOR FREE. You have no idea how useful glass jars are to MANY business owners. 
  4. DONATE TO YOUR LOCAL REFILLERY- I went to a refillery in Nashville, TN a few years back & there was this amazing section of the store where locals could bring in their old glass jars (cleaned & with their lids) & leave them for other locals who either forgot their jars or didn't bring enough. It was such a cute gesture & warmed my heart to see. All refilleries might not take them but it doesn't hurt to call & ask! Or even make a suggestion for them to have a donation spot!
  5. LIBRARIES- So random but one day i took my son to the library & they were taking old light bulbs for crafts day for the kids! & another week they wanted old plant pots. I was confused until i realized they were creating free art & crafts days depending on whatever people brought in! Doesn't hurt to call & see if your local library could use a few (or many) glass jars!

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