Glass | Lake Region Solid Wa

Glass Recycling

Glass is made primarily from natural materials such as sand, limestone, and soda ash. Unlike many other recyclable materials, glass can be recycled repeatedly without losing its quality or purity!!

Recycling glass reduces the need to mine and process these raw materials while using less energy to manufacture new products. Recycling glass conserves natural resources, saves energy, and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Glass Recycling in Kansas

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) does not mandate glass recycling, but they do regulate it under the state's Solid Waste regulations. The solid waste facilities, materials recovery facilities (MRFs), and drop-off hubs are governed by permitted processing regulations (Solid Waste Processing Facility Permits) to ensure glass is safely handled without creating hazards or illegal disposal sites.

Although glass is not accepted in every curbside recycling program, many Kansas communities offer convenient drop-off locations where residents can recycle glass. Most recycling programs accept food and beverage glass containers of all colors.

Glass Recycling in the Lake Region

Shawnee and Miami County do not accepts glass through curbside recycling. Instead, they have teamed with Ripple Glass, a Kansas City company, to provide designated purple bins to select locations throughout the county. Residents can discard their glass products in the bins and Ripple then collects the materials and takes it to their processing plant for recycling.

Anderson, Franklin, Linn and Osage County all collect glass within their own recycling programs and do not use the purple collection containers, but they still ship their glass to Ripple for recycling. Coffee County is the only county within the Lake Region that does not use Ripple Glass for their glass recycling.

Most glass recyclers are equipped to process almost all kinds of household glass, from beverage bottles and food jars, to window panes, drinking containers, spent candles, and more! If you can see through it, they can likely recycle it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to remove labels?

No. Most glass recycling programs, including Ripple Glass, allow labels to remain on bottles and jars.

Should I rinse containers?

Yes. Containers should be emptied and lightly rinsed before recycling to reduce odors and contamination.

Does the glass have to be separated by color?

No. All brown, green, blue, and clear food and beverage containers can be mixed in the same collection bin.

Do I need to take the caps, and lids off?

Maybe. Metal lids and caps should be removed for curbside recycling or when placed in the county collection points. However, Ripple allows you to leave your lids on and even allows corks stuck inside wine bottles.

What Can Be Made From Recycled Glass?

Explore how recycled glass transforms into sustainable insulation and countertops while discovering ways to responsibly recycle glass at https://www.rippleglass.com/what-can-be-made-from-recycled-glass/