In the grand scheme of recycling and source reduction for consumer and business materials, glass recycling has its own niche. Those who analyze the process debate how or whether to recycle glass, but businesses have a significantly different view than the average consumer. A business will decide whether to recycle any waste glass from its processes, as well as how to cut down on glass use or modify manufacturing processes.

When a business needs training and education on aspects of recycling glass, the web can provide various resources. Government, business and independent groups have put out a lot of public glass recycling resources online, including:

1. Government guides to glass recycling for businesses and consumers.

2. Public glass recycling sites offering links to glass buyers, recycling agencies and other groups as well as statistics, categories and more.

3. Public web forums where posters discuss aspects of business and residential glass recycling.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get glass recycling info from government sources

The federal U.S. EPA has stepped up to the plate to offer glass recycling resources for businesses and consumers. State and local agencies have also promoted glass recycling through a lot of useful online pages.

I recommend: Get "Just the Facts" about glass recycling at the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection website. Learn more about glass recycling companies, common methodologies and glass recycling buyers at state or local sites like the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

Locate other glass recycling resources from public interest sites

Other groups also list a lot of important info about glass recycling for training businesses and other kinds of readers in how to deal with the issue of maximizing the value of silica materials.

I recommend: Get recycling training and other resources at the Glass Packaging Institute. Look for lists of glass recycling company types and categories and more at Recycler's World. Check out the Kentucky Division of Waste Management, which has a program on glass recycling. For a general recycling course, including glass, look at the Whitlock Training Group at Earth911.

Look for tips and info on glass recycling from public web forums

Another resource for glass recycling information and tips is the public sites where involved parties post in open forums about what kind of glass recycling, if any, is best for the earth and the human community.

I recommend: Learn about recycling glass in various colors at the forums at DoItYourself, where posters discuss attributes of the process for glass recyclers and some factors in how the glass recycling business works. Find more posts on glass recycling at City-Data forums.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When looking for glass recycling education and training, keep each of the 3Rs in mind: reduce, re-use and recycle. All three of these help businesses toward an overall path of limiting glass source reduction and getting efficient about helping to curb landfill waste.

Glass recycling is one of many steps businesses take to create a greener work place. In 2006, America dumped 13.2 million tons of glass in the municipal waste stream. Only 22% of that was recycled. Every ounce of recycled glass can be reused in different ways: as new glass products, concrete, home decor and much more.

Recycling glass is only the first step, though. Buy recycled glass to complete the process. More than 90% of recycled glass goes toward new glass products. Glass manufacturers rely on a steady supply of recycled glass known as cullet to form new products. Using recycled glass also benefits glass recycling companies because its cheaper and requires less energy to melt to form new glass.

1. Glass recycling businesses vary from city to city. So, contact your local waste management company for information about glass recycling.
2. Many glass recycling companies offer pick-up services and pay for recycled glass.
3. Purchase materials made from recycled glass to save energy and prevent the consumption of more raw materials.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a glass recycling business

Every city provides different municipal regulations to handle recycled materials. Keep residential glass out of landfills by finding your local glass recycling company and its requirements for recycling. Glass must be separated by color and type to recycle. Some glass recycling businesses may sort the glass, but, others require you to sort them.

I recommend: Planet Recycling offers industrial products, including glass recycling equipment, as well as solutions to recycle glass. Earth911 offers a search engine to find local glass recyclers and information about glass recycling.

Sell recycled glass

Glass recycling as a business can be profitable since most glass manufacturers rely on a steady supply of cullet for production. Residential glass, such as wine bottles, soda bottles, vases, and decorative glassware are converted into new glass products.

I recommend: Visit Glassgo Exchange Network for a listing of glass recycling buyers. Check out the market price for various forms of recycled glass at RecycleNet.

Buy recycled glass

In the glass recycling business, the end product is a new glass product. To fulfill your recycling efforts, purchase recycled glass products. By buying glass made from recycled materials, you support recycling companies; these are usually small, local businesses. In addition, you save raw materials and energy. Recycled glass cullet heats quicker than raw materials and therefore requires less time and energy to process.

I recommend: The California Integrated Waste Management Board provides a list of companies selling recycled glass as new products. Contact EnviroGLAS for a recycled glass home and office building products.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  During the glass recycling process, an entire batch of recycled glass can be ruined if glass is not cleaned and separated appropriately. Rinse out bottles and food containers. Though every recycling center varies, the main categories to divide glass by are flint (clear), amber, and colored. Do not include window glass, light bulbs, ovenware or ceramic material.