Struggling to Recycle Glass in Utah? We Have the Answers!

At Momentum Recycling, we often get questions centered around glass recycling—which makes sense, considering we’re the sole glass recycling facility in the entire Intermountain West region! 

It also makes sense that there are lots of questions and sometimes some confusion around glass recycling. After all, every state and local municipality in the US has different policies regarding glass as a recyclable material, so if you’re new to Utah or new to recycling, it’s only natural to have questions. 

Unfortunately, nothing stops recycling initiatives faster than not knowing how to recycle glass in your specific area. This is why we’re here to give you the answers to the most common questions on glass recycling in Utah and the Intermountain West.

Is glass recyclable?

Yes! Glass is one of the most recyclable materials, thanks to its uniform structure. Unlike processed plastics, which can only be recycled so many times, glass can be recycled endlessly. The bulk of recovered glass containers—about 80%—is used to make new glass bottles, while the other 20% is used to create other industrial goods.

Why doesn’t it go in the blue bin then?

In short, glass is a destructive material that damages hauling and sorting equipment. Glass particles also degrade the other recyclables in the bin, reducing their chances of being recycled. Collecting and processing glass separately from the other recyclables helps to ensure that all of the recyclables can be reused in the best way.

Some states lump their glass products in with mixed recycling because their infrastructure doesn’t specialize in glass recycling. However, others outright deny glass in their recycling because their machines and processes can’t handle broken glass. So what about Utah?

Momentum Recycling operates the one glass recycling factory in the Intermountain West, making glass recycling possible for everyone in our region. Our dedicated plant enables us to have processes and equipment specific to glass processing, which is why we collect glass separately from other mixed recycling here in Utah. 

Where can you recycle glass?

There are several options for recycling glass in Utah:

• Convenient, curbside pickup services for residents and businesses. Click the hyperlinks to visit the pages on our website where you can see if regular curbside pickups are available in your neighborhood.
• Local drop-off bins are available across the state through partnerships between specific municipalities and Momentum Recycling. Some of these drop-off bins are provided by Momentum Recycling and some are provided by other haulers, but they all end up in the Momentum Recycling glass recycling plant for processing. Cities where you can find drop-off locations include:
  • Salt Lake and the surrounding suburbs
  • Logan
  • Lehi
  • Springville
  • Heber
  • Midway
  • And many others! Check this map to find the one closest to you. 
• For businesses with major glass usage, we can provide collection containers and haul them for you.

By identifying where you can recycle your glass, you can help avoid overfilling landfills with a valuable recyclable material.

Do you need to prepare your glass for recycling?

No! Recycling glass in Utah does not require you to rinse bottles or peel off labels. With Momentum’s specialized, glass recycling machines, you don’t even need to worry about removing bottle caps, corks, or other non-glass material attached to your glassware.

Here’s how Utah’s glass recycling process works:

Step 1: Drop Off Your Glass With Zero Stress

This is the part where we need your help. Take advantage of a curbside glass bin or take any of your recyclable glass products to a local drop-off point. That’s it!

Step 2: Collection and Dropoff

We’ve built partnerships with organizations all over Utah—even all the way out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming!—to collect all colors of glass to deposit at our glass recycling factory.

Once the collected glass is dropped off, all loads are inspected for contaminants, including ceramics, oven-safe dishes, mirrors, and window frames. Other sorting stations separate brown glass from non-brown glass for different processes.

Step 3: The Glass Factory Process

Once sorted, the glass goes through 24 hammers. These hammers break it down into crude particles, which are then processed through a revolving screen called a trommel. A fluidized bed drier heats the glass to burn away sugars and bacteria, while loosening label glue.

Glass then goes through several rounds of sifting through screens and pulverization. Eventually, all the glass is recycled down into cullet, which ranges in size from pebbles to a fine powder.

Step 4: Refined Cullet For Reuse

Once processed into cullet, it’s sent to be manufactured into fiberglass and other products. One of the major reasons we can recycle glass at all here in Utah is our partnership with the Owens Corning fiberglass factory in Nephi. They provide demand for the cullet we produce, ensuring the glass coming into our recycling facility can have a new life as something useful.

What glass products should stay out of the bin?

Our processors take care of separating out non-glass items like bottle caps, corks, and plastic and metal lids. However, some glass has been subjected to special treatment that makes it ineligible for recycling. These materials include: 

• Mirrors (silver oxide paint damages our machines)
• Ceramic, porcelain, and other oven-safe dishware (high melting points don’t liquify)
• Light bulbs (Chemical treatment introduces hazardous chemicals)
• Laminated glass (like windshields – plastic doesn’t separate well)

Easy tip: If it can go into your oven, it shouldn’t go in ours. If it’s treated with any plastic or powder, please double-check if it’s hazardous before disposing (but please don’t recycle it).

With all that being said, tempered glass is perfectly fine to recycle! Feel free to add that to any glass collection bin. 

Glass recycling and its benefits in Utah

Glass recycling reduces waste disposal costs, the use of raw materials, and CO2 emissions. Making glass from recycled products consumes 40% less energy and keeps it out of landfills. All around, for so many reasons, recycling glass is the best option for our planet and our communities!

At Momentum Recycling, we want everyone to have easy access to recycling so we can all move closer to a zero-waste infrastructure. Join us and make a difference in your community by recycling your glass at a local drop-off or through a residential curbside or business curbside pickup service.