Broken Glass
Many recyclers ask, what do I do if I have broken glass? What if my glass bottles break when placed in designated drop off bins?
It is okay if glass breaks when you drop it in our recycling drop off bins. Marked glass bins eliminate risk to workers who hand sort mixed recycling. By separating out glass from mixed recycling, workers are not hand sorting dangerous broken glass. For this reason, only recycle glass in marked colored/clear drop off bins and NOT in mixed bins or curbside. Once glass has been processed at the WWRA, it is shipped to Strategic Material in Chicago. The WWRA ships 240 tons of glass per year: that’s more than what 19 school busses weigh! Strategic Material then uses it for fiberglass insulation, highway bead, sandblasting material, and some is remade into glass bottles.
Watch this video on glass recycling at the WWRA: