The other day a friend of mine mentioned that she recently had a horrible bout with “fumble fingers”… while emptying her dishwasher, she managed to wipe-out four glasses from her countertop.
Knowing that I am Mom Goes Green, she commented: “Well, at least I put them in the recycling can!”
Oh, beloved friend, I appreciate the gesture, but wrong! (… and I mean that with lotsa green love!)
In actuality, drinking glasses CANNOT be recycled. The content is a bit different than glass jars, bottles, and containers. These glasses are, unfortunately, trash.
The same goes for windows, mirrors and glass cookware. While other glass can be recycled indefinitely, these cannot. Adding them in with your recycling risks ruining an entire batch of recycled glass and you certainly want to consider the danger created when your recyclables are being sorted… glass shards everywhere don’t make for a great work environment at your recycling facility and they can seriously damage equipment.
Years ago I managed to completely destroy a door on the front of our entertainment center. It shattered to small bits and I actually used the pieces to fill the bottom of some clear vases for floral arrangements. (See, some creative license to upcycle still exists!)
So, while I agree with the idea that we should go through life with a “glass half full” mentality, if fumble fingers strikes you too, don’t risk it. Thank the glass for its service, but you’ll need to put it in the trash.
I am a fan of the DIY culture and wonder if anyone might know a glass working artists to ask about this. Those who work with lamp work glass crafting might try to add broken glass to there posible supplies. Stainglass artists and Glass blowers may also find uses for our unrecyclable broken glass. Just an idea sadly I don’t know any but wish I did.
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