Glass Recycling Facts
Glass is infinitely recyclable, which means it can be recycled again and again into new products without a loss of quality. Even though glass is 100% recyclable only around 21% of glass is recycled worldwide every year. That means loads end up in landfill sites, are incinerated, or disposed of in other unsustainable ways.
Recycling glass preserves raw materials, saves energy, reduces carbon emissions, and cuts costs. Every business and household should recycle glass rather than chuck it out with solid waste. Packaging and construction are the main uses of glass that drive demand for the material.
These glass recycling facts highlight the importance of separating and recycling any type of waste glass. Recycling rates vary across the world with millions of tons used and disposed of every year. Discover some fascinating statistics and facts about recycling glass.
How much glass waste is
produced each year?
The world produces 130 million tons of glass each year. Data about how much glass waste each country creates isn’t always available and varies between nations. It’s estimated that the US creates around 12 million tons of glass waste, the EU produces about 16 million tons, and the UK in the region of five million tons of glass recycling.
The general breakdown of global glass waste includes:
- 48% – hollow or container glass (bottles and jars)
- 42% – flat glass products (construction, window, and car glass)
- 5% – tableware (drinking glasses and vases)
- 5% – other glass products
Glass recycling statistics
Recycling glass saves energy and raw materials. It’s 100% recyclable but unfortunately, the statistics about glass recycling don’t reflect this. Statistics about glass recycling are different across countries, industries, and products and there’s still work to be done to improve recycling rates across all areas.
These are some important glass recycling statistics:
- 27 million tons of glass are recycled globally every year
- Around 32% of container glass is recycled but only 11% of flat glass (used in construction and automotive industries)
- European countries have some of the highest glass recycling rates in the world, such as:
- Sweden – 95%
- Belgium – 95%
- Switzerland – 94%
- Germany – 85.2%
- UK – 76.5%
- Using recycled glass cullet to create new glass products requires 10% less energy and reduces carbon emissions
- All glass is recyclable but the use of recycled glass cullet to create new products varies depending on the color:
- Green – can use up to 95% of recycled material
- Brown – uses up to 70% of recycled cullet
- White – includes around 60% of recycled glass
Glass waste facts in the US
The US produces around 12.3 million tons of glass waste every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This has almost doubled since 1960 as industries such as packaging, construction, and the automotive sector rely on the material for various products. The amount of glass recycled has also increased but unfortunately so has the volume sent to landfill.
The amount of glass waste and how it’s disposed of and recycled varies across states. These are some more facts about glass waste and recycling in the US:
- Glass makes up 2% of all municipal solid waste (MSW) in the US
- The US has a glass recycling rate of around 31%
- In 2018 there were 1 million tons of glass containers recycled in the US, according to data from the EPA and Glass Packaging Institute
- Around 6 million tons of glass were sent to landfill in 2018, accounting for 5.2% of all MSW in landfill
- 6 million tons of glass was combusted for energy recovery (4.8% of MSW combustion)
- Glass recycling has increased in the US from recycling around 100,000 tons in 1960 to more than three million tons by 2020
Recycle commercial glass waste
These glass waste facts highlight the importance of separating and recycling as much as possible within your business. We provide reliable glass recycling services for businesses of any size and industry in the US. This includes delivering suitable dumpsters to store your waste commercial glass, regular collections, and recycling.
All glass waste is removed and recycled to prevent any from ending up in landfill. This helps protect the environment, conserve energy and resources, and save your business money. Speak to one of our expert team to learn more about glass recycling for your business.
Get started with a free no-obligation quote today for commercial glass waste collection. We’ll provide a bespoke price tailored to your exact needs – call 888 584 2118 or contact us online for your free quote.
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