If the pieces of glass are large, broken glass bottles can still be put in your recycling bin (for example, if the bottle has been broken into two or three pieces). If the bottle has broken into small pieces, they should be wrapped up and placed in the garbage bin.

Generally, metal lids and caps can be left on glass bottles when you recycle them. However, it’s best to check directly with your council to be sure. Metal is a valuable material, so many recyclers will take the extra time to remove it from the bottle so both materials can be recycled separately.
 
However, as a rule, most smaller caps/bottle tops cannot be placed loose in your recycling bin. Due to their small size, they will likely be missed and not recycled. If you want to recycle small metal caps/bottle tops such as those from beer bottles, you can place them in a can of the same metal type, squeeze the top of the can to close it and then place the can in your household recycling bin.
 
Larger lids, such as those from jam jars, can be removed from the glass bottle or container and placed in your recycling bin separately.

Generally, larger metal lids, such as those from jam jars, can be removed from the glass bottle or container and placed in your household recycling bin separately. It’s best to check with your local council directly for the most accurate lid recycling advice for your area.

Glass bottles and jars are 100% recyclable and can be recycled again and again without any reduction in quality. Most Australian councils accept glass bottles and jars in household recycling bins. Your council may also accept glass bottles and jars at a local waste transfer station or recycling facility.
 
Not all glass can be recycled via your household recycling bin. Glass items that should not be put in your household recycling include:
•thick toughened glass used to make things like drinking glasses and vases
•sight and reading glasses
•ceramics
•plate glass (window panes)
•oven-proof glass, and
•pyrex
 
If you have any of these items and they’re still in good condition, you might like to donate them so they can be reused by someone else, which extends their life and keeps the materials used to make the products in use at their highest value.
 
Your old eyeglasses (including sight, reading and sunglasses) can be donated for reuse by people in need within Australia and overseas.

Many of us are aware that if plastic bottles are not disposed of responsibly (recycled), they can pollute our oceans and waterways, posing risks to wildlife and entering food chains as microplastics. However, whilst glass bottles are perhaps less likely to enter our oceans and waterways than plastic bottles, and they do not break down into harmful substances like microplastics if they do, they’re not entirely harmless.
 
For example, glass manufacturing requires a significant amount of energy (due to the high temperatures required for melting), which results in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The glass itself also releases carbon dioxide during the melting process. Therefore, whilst the environmental impacts of glass bottles might be less obvious than the ocean pollution caused by plastic bottles, their manufacturing contributes to global warming, which is significantly impacting the world’s oceans.
 
Additionally, the manufacturing of glass requires extraction of natural resources, such as silica sand, soda ash and dolomite. The mining of these resources may result in dust and runoff entering waterways and oceans.
 
To reduce the environmental impacts of glass bottle production, it is important to reuse and recycle them whenever possible.

Glass bottles and jars are made from natural resources including silica sand, soda ash, and dolomite, which all need to be extracted from the earth. These natural materials and some other key components are mixed with a portion of recycled glass (known as cullet) to form the batch mixture.

To turn the batch mixture into a glass bottle, it is first heated in a furnace to 1550 degrees Celsius where it forms molten glass. The molten glass then cools to around 1250 degrees Celsius and any air bubbles escape. The molten glass is then cut into smaller pieces, dropped into a mould and turned into a bottle shape. The bottle then undergoes a process called annealing, which involves reheating and then gradually cooling the bottle to release stress and ensure the bottle is strong.

Glass bottles and plastic bottles have different properties – including different weights, melting points, strengths, flexibility, and durability. Therefore, both types of bottles are useful, and the most appropriate choice depends on the type of product (as well as other considerations like environmental impact, logistics, and transport costs).

Although many people are aware of the environmental impacts of plastic bottles, perhaps because these are more obvious (including their contribution to pollution and breakdown into microplastics), fewer people are aware of the environmental impacts of glass bottles including their high energy demand during both production and transport.
 
Whilst glass bottles are more durable (and therefore can be reused more times than plastics), most glass bottles are tossed away (or recycled) after only a single use. Additionally, due to their high demand on natural resources (such as silica sand, soda ash, and dolomite), and the large amount of energy required to manufacture glass, glass bottles are very resource intensive to produce. Compared with glass bottles, plastic bottles are much lighter and, as a result, there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions associated with their transport and logistics.
 
Although glass can be recycled over and over with no loss of quality, bottles made from recycled glass still require lots of energy, due to the high temperatures required for melting. In contrast, plastic cannot be recycled endlessly, as it degrades over time. However, plastic bottles made from recycled plastic require less energy to produce than plastic bottles made from virgin (new) materials, or bottles made from either virgin or recycled glass.

Therefore, the pro and cons of using glass versus plastic to make bottles are complex and dependent on circumstances. Of course, to reduce the environmental impacts of both plastic and glass bottles, it’s important to recycle them wherever possible to ensure the valuable resources used to make them remain in circulation. Recycled plastic bottles and recycled glass bottles both reduce energy demand compared with virgin equivalents.

Yes, empty olive oil bottles made from glass can be put in your recycling bin at home.

Good news – glass bottles can be recycled again and again without any reduction in strength or quality! Glass bottles are primarily recycled into new glass bottles, jars and containers. However, lower grade recycled glass can also be used in fibreglass insulation, concrete, and asphalt, for example.

Most councils accept glass bottles and jars in household recycling bins. If you do not have a household recycling collection, you might like to see if you can drop them off at one of your council’s recycling facilities. Alternatively, if your state has a Container Deposit Scheme, you can take eligible glass bottles to a collection point near you and earn some cash in return.
 
Once your glass bottles and jars are collected, they are first sent for sorting and separation at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Once separated, the glass bottles and jars are crushed into pieces (called cullet) and any large contaminants are removed. The cullet is then sent to a glass recycling plant, where it is separated based on colour and any remaining smaller contaminants are removed. The recycled glass (cullet) is then predominately used to remanufacture new glass bottles and jars (with varying portions of recycled glass content). Lower grades of recycled glass may be added to road base, for example.
 
The beauty of glass is that it can be recycled again and again, with no reduction in quality. Therefore, do your bit and be sure to always recycle your glass bottles and jars.

Many types of beverage containers made from glass can be taken to a Container Deposit Scheme for a 10c refund including glass soft drink bottles and beer bottles. Sometimes, the bottle will need to be under 1 litre, but different rules apply depending on the state or territory. Some areas are even expanding their collections to accept spirits and wine bottles made from glass. Find out more about Container Deposit Schemes.