Throwing Out Glass

Glass in the trash can spell danger. Those handling glass, particularly broken glass, are at risk for potentially serious cuts. Neighbors walking past broken glass at the curb are also in danger of harm, especially pets and children who may be more curious to pick up or eat shards of glass.

It’s important to know how to properly dispose of glass, broken or not, to protect those around you.

 

 

Caution: Broken Glass Inside

If a baseball somehow found its way through your kitchen window, you probably have a real mess on your hands. What should you do with the broken glass? Toss it right into a bag and throw it to the curb? NO!

Follow these steps to handle broken glass:

• Wrap the glass in a cloth and very carefully break into smaller pieces
• Lift the cloth and put into a box
• Stuff more cloth around to fill the box
• Close and seal the box with strong tape such as packing tape
• Make a disclaimer, “DANGER” or “BROKEN GLASS” very clearly on the box with a marker
• Keep the box out of reach from children and pets until garbage day
• Send to the curb on the day of your garbage

*Avoid wrapping broken glass in newspaper – the glass will cut through the paper and be a hazard to those handling it.

Whole Glass

In the case of whole glass such as a mirror (good thing you didn’t break that) or a decorative glass vase, you have many options for disposal.

1. Consider donating the objects to a charity. Decorative items, dishes, and furniture are always appreciated by charitable organizations.
2. You can also repurpose the glass. For example, many home improvement stores now sell kits to update large bathroom mirrors with a framed edge for a more modern look. Mirrors are expensive, so this is a great way to save cash and change the look of your home at the same time.
3. Recycling glass is a bit more involved. Different types of glass contain different chemicals that may prohibit them from being recyclable. If in doubt, always check with your local recycling company to verify whether or not your glass products can be sent to the recycling bin. Food and beverage containers should be rinsed out thoroughly before being recycled.

Glass items that CANNOT be recycled include:

• Light bulbs
• Pyrex
• Ceramics
• Crystal
• Cathode-ray tubes
• Mixed colors of broken glass

Recycled Glass Is Good For Everyone

Glass packaging for food and beverages is an outstanding choice, as it is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly. Very few other packaging options can tout this claim. Here are a few other interesting facts highlighting the benefits of glass:

• With every ton of glass that is recycled, over 1 ton of natural resources are saved.
• For every 6 tons of glass recycled, 1 ton of carbon dioxide is reduced.
• Recycled glass can be substituted for 95% of raw materials.
• Glass recycling helps to reduce emissions and raw material usage and extend the life of manufacturing plant equipment.
• For every 1000 tons of glass recycled, 8 jobs are created.

Afraid Of Glass? We’re Not!

Glass is great! It serves as an excellent packaging source for the food and drinks we consume. It can be used over and over again, thus helping to protect and preserve our environment as well as being turned into beautiful decor. With all of these benefits, it is important to be aware of the dangers of glass, particularly broken glass, and dispose of it properly.

Have a project requiring the disposal of a large amount of glass? Let Chuck It Junk Removal handle the hard work for you.

Handling broken glass might be intimidating, but have no fear! Give us a call today for a free estimate for your project and let us handle the rest!

Call today at 1-888-924-8254