Glass disposal — what to recycle and what to throw away

Glass bottles and jars go in recycling; drinking glasses, mirrors, window glass and dishes go in the trash. That's the rule in most places, but some cities don't take glass at the curb at all, so it goes to a free drop-off instead.

Short answer

Bottles and jars: rinse them and recycle them, at the curb or at a drop-off.
Drinking glasses, mirrors, windows, light bulbs, dishes: trash, not recycling.
Broken glass: double-bag it or box it and tape it shut before it goes in the trash.
Bottle deposit state? Return eligible bottles for 5 to 15 cents each.

Which glass is recyclable

Recycling programs want container glass: bottles and jars. New York City, for example, recycles glass bottles and jars but tells residents to put drinking glasses, eyeglasses, glass furniture, mirrors, windows and light bulbs in the trash, and to tape up large glass items and double-bag broken glass so no one gets cut. Ceramics, dishes and mugs go in the trash too.

It's worth the effort: EPA estimated 12.3 million tons of glass were thrown out in 2018, but only 31.3 percent of glass containers were recycled, and landfills received about 7.6 million tons of glass that year.

Free glass drop-offs

Many dumps and recycling centers take glass free. Examples from our directory:

Glendale, Arizona: free blue bins for glass bottles past the scale house at the landfill.
Columbia, Missouri: glass bottles and jars go in a free recycling bin at the landfill.
Rio Rancho, New Mexico: glass and cardboard recycling at the gatehouse is free.
Sioux City, Iowa: glass is free for residents at the landfill.
Summit County, Colorado: three recycling drop-off centers open 24 hours a day take glass.
Douglas County, Oregon: every transfer station takes glass free.
Atlanta: CHaRM takes food and drink glass free from residents and recycles flat glass separately.

When glass can't go at the curb

Some programs leave glass out of curbside recycling, so it has to be driven to a drop-off:

Akron, Ohio: glass can't go in the recycling cart at all; the city runs glass drop-off bins at six locations.
Lawrenceville, Georgia: the city runs a separate glass drop-off site.
San Juan County, New Mexico: the county stations recycle cans, plastic and cardboard but not glass.
Spartanburg County, South Carolina: the convenience centers don't take glass.

If you live in a bottle deposit state, eligible bottles are worth money back; our bottle deposit guide lists the ten states and their refund amounts. Light bulbs have their own rules, covered in our light bulb guide.

Find a recycling drop-off near you

Enter your city or ZIP, then check each site's page for glass.

Common questions

How do you dispose of glass?

Recycle glass bottles and jars. Put drinking glasses, mirrors, window glass, dishes and light bulbs in the trash, with broken glass double-bagged or boxed so no one gets cut.

Can broken glass go in the trash?

Yes. Double-bag it or put it in a box and tape it shut, as New York City advises, so sanitation workers don't get cut. Don't put broken drinking glass in recycling.

Can drinking glasses and mirrors be recycled?

Usually not with bottles and jars. They're made differently, so programs like New York City's send drinking glasses, mirrors and window glass to the trash.

Where can I drop off glass for recycling?

Many landfills, transfer stations and recycling centers take bottles and jars free. Use the finder on this page and check the site's page for glass.

Why won't my city take glass at the curb?

Some programs, such as Akron, Ohio's, leave glass out of the cart and run separate glass drop-off bins instead.

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