Why Glass Doesn’t Belong in Your Regular Recycling Bin

Answering the common questions about recycling glass and why we don’t put it in our mixed recycling bins.

We get this question ALL the time: “Why can’t I just put my glass bottles and jars in my regular recycling bin like they do in other states?” It’s a fair question, and we understand the confusion. After all, wouldn’t it be easier if everything could go in one bin? 

But Utah’s approach to glass recycling isn’t a limitation—it’s actually an advantage to the environment and the local economy.

Here’s why:

The one-bin method may seem convenient, but it actually creates a whole mess of problems. States that allow glass in regular recycling bins are then stuck dealing with contaminated recyclables, broken equipment, and unhappy buyers. Meanwhile, Utah’s separate glass collection system runs like a well-oiled machine.

Glass Makes Recycling Everything Else Harder

When glass gets thrown into your bin or goes through the sorting process at recycling facilities, it inevitably breaks. And when it breaks, those tiny shards get into EVERYTHING else. 

For example, consider clean, white office paper that can be easily recycled into high-quality office paper. Once it has glass shards embedded in it, it can only be “downcycled” into lower-grade products like paper towels or tissues. 

When recycling facilities process glass alongside things like cardboard, they immediately lose about 20% of their selling price. Buyers know that glass-contaminated cardboard is simply worth less.

Glass shards contaminate plastics, metals, and everything else in the bin, reducing quality and market value across the board.

Glass is an Equipment Destroyer

Glass is also hard on the machinery at the recycling facility. These facilities invest millions of dollars in sophisticated sorting machinery, and running glass—or other materials embedded with glass—through this equipment causes:

• Frequent breakdowns and costly repairs
• Shortened equipment lifespan
• Higher maintenance costs
• Increased overall processing expenses

These costs don’t just disappear—they get passed on to consumers through higher waste management fees.

But What About “Single-Stream Recycling”?

Several other states currently allow glass in their regular recycling bins through “single-stream recycling” programs. These programs began decades ago, when single-stream recycling was a new concept and people didn’t fully understand the significant issue of glass contamination.

These areas are now struggling with the reduced value of contaminated recyclables, damage to equipment, and overall inefficiency of their systems. Yet there’s no easy way to take away a “convenience” residents have grown accustomed to without facing massive public backlash. It’s pretty hard to put that genie back in the bottle!

It’s much easier to start with the right system from the beginning—which is exactly what Utah did.

Utah’s System Creates Lasting Environmental Benefits

By keeping glass separate from day one, Utah has created a recycling system that’s not just more efficient—it’s significantly better for the environment. 

• More Materials Actually Get Recycled. When glass contaminates other recyclables, these materials are often rejected by buyers and end up in landfills. Keeping glass separate ensures that paper, cardboard, and plastics maintain their quality and can actually be recycled into new products. That means WAY more material stays out of landfills.

• Glass Gets Recycled Infinitely. Glass is one of the few materials that can be recycled without losing quality. But only when it’s collected separately! When glass breaks in mixed recycling, most of those shards become unusable waste. Our separate collection system captures glass cleanly so it can be recycled over and over again—literally forever.

• We Preserve More Natural Resources.  Making new glass requires soda ash, and there’s only ONE major deposit of it in all of North America (it’s in Green River, Wyoming). When that’s gone, it’s gone forever. Every bottle we recycle means we use less of this finite resource. Plus, when paper and cardboard stay free of glass, they can be recycled into high-quality products multiple times instead of being “downcycled” into lower-grade materials after just one use.

• Less Energy Waste Overall. While it might seem like having a separate collection uses more energy, the opposite is actually true! When recyclables aren’t contaminated, processing facilities run more efficiently. Equipment breaks down less frequently, sorting goes faster, and materials don’t need extra cleaning or processing steps. The glass that Momentum Recycling collects gets turned into fiberglass insulation by Owens Corning right here in Nephi, Utah. That insulation helps homes use less energy for heating and cooling—creating environmental benefits that last for decades!

Glass Recycling Can Work For You

Everyone’s situation is different. Some people love the convenience of having curbside glass recycling at their home or business and are happy to pay a small monthly fee for that service. Others prefer to save the money and drop off their glass at free collection points around the valleys.

Both approaches work great! The important thing is that glass stays separate from other recyclables so the entire system can work as efficiently as possible. When you participate in glass collection, you’re actually contributing to a recycling system that’s better for both the economy and the environment.

Utah didn’t make glass collection separate because it was easier or cheaper (though it turns out to be both). We did it because it’s the RIGHT way to do it. 

You Can Make a Difference

The next time someone complains about Utah’s glass recycling being “inconvenient,” set them straight! Utah’s system isn’t a limitation—it’s actually one of the best in the country.

Whether you choose curbside glass collection or prefer to drop off at one of our many locations throughout Utah, you’re part of a recycling system that really works. Keep recycling that glass, and know that you’re doing it the RIGHT way!

Want to learn more about Utah’s recycling programs? Check out our other posts about how recycling actually works in Utah and why recycling helps the environment.