Glass is one of the most eco-friendly resources we have today. It’s completely recyclable and can live a life long after you’re done with it. Whether you’re trying to figure out what to do with an empty jar from your favorite pasta sauce or a window that you recently had replaced, it’s important to recycle it properly so it can go on to its next purpose.
Jars and Bottles
For the most part, St. Louis is fairly straightforward. In St. Louis city, glass bottles and jars can be cleaned and placed in the blue bin. Certain counties, like St. Louis County and St. Charles, use a single stream recycling system that allows bottles and jars to be placed carefully amongst the other recyclables. A few places, such as Lake St. Louis and Valley Park, may require glass products to be dropped off at a special deposit site. The best thing you can do is check with your town’s recycling guide to ensure you’re following the rules and preventing potential contamination.
Household Glass
Larger household glass, such as windows and ceramics, may be a bit harder to recycle. Because windows are treated with special chemicals, it’s important to not place them with your regular recycling. If the piece is broken, it might be best to dispose of it with your regular trash. Take care to soften any shards by wrapping them either in tape or newspaper before placing them in cardboard. This will help protect your sanitation workers! If your window is unbroken, however, and is just being upgraded, secondhand stores are the answer. Places like Refab off Gravois will often find new homes for your old pieces. Just be sure to call first to ask if they’ll accept it.
Taking the proper steps will let your glass live on long after you’re done with them! And if you’re looking to upgrade your old glass windows, give us a call at St. Louis Glass Works! We can give you a free quote and walk you through the next steps.