What to do with
Glass bottles & jars
Want to recycle glass but don't know if you can?
Glass bottles and jars are widely recycled. To find out if you can recycle them at home or need to take them to a bottle bank use our handy Recycling Locator tool.
What glass can I recycle at home?
| Yes please | No thanks | |
|---|---|---|
| Bottles of any colour (e.g. wine, beer, spirits) | Glass cookware (e.g. Pyrex, microwave plates) | |
| Jars (e.g. sauces, jam, baby food) | Drinking glasses | |
| Non-food bottles (e.g. perfume, aftershave, face creams) | Ceramics (e.g. crockery, earthenware) | |
| Vases | ||
| Nail varnish bottles | ||
| Mirrors | ||
| Light bulbs and tubes |
Why can't I recycle some glass items?
Some types of glass do not melt at the same temperature as bottles and jars. If they enter the glass recycling process it can result in new containers being rejected. These items should be recycled separately - check with your local household waste recycling centre.
How to recycle glass bottles and jars
- Put lids and caps back on. This reduces the chance of them getting lost during the sorting process as they can be recycled separately.
- Empty and rinse - a quick rinse will do. Leftover liquid can contaminate other recyclables which may mean they aren't recycled.
- At bottle banks, blue glass goes in with green glass.
- Corks should be removed from bottles before they are recycled but can be home composted.
Did you know?
Find out what you can recycle at home
Our Recycling Locator tool can tell you which items you can put in your recycling bins.