Bottles and jars only, please
We’ve been looking at the contents of your glass-only bin as part of our annual bin audit program.
We inspect the loads of glass received at the sorting facility, and a team of auditors sift through large samples of glass from each load. The glass is sorted into categories and weighed.
Unfortunately, we found these items which should not be put in your glass-only bin:
Glass vases, scented candle jars, mirrors, window glass
These glass items don’t melt at the same temperature as glass bottles and jars. If they are added in during the recycling process, they affect the quality of the recycled glass. This can cause the recycled glass to break or explode.
Any glass item that isn’t a bottle or jar cannot go in your glass-only bin. Put these items in your landfill bin (red lid):
- Perfume bottles
- Vases
- Scented candle jars
- Glass ornaments
- Mirrors
- Window glass
- Pyrex or glass cookware
- Nail polish bottles
- Essential oil bottles
Check the A-Z guide in SCRRApp or visit surfcoast.vic.gov.au/a-z for a full list of items that can be put in your glass-only bin (purple lid).
Lids from bottles and jars
The auditors found more than 3% of the sample contained lids that were still attached to glass bottles or jars.
Remove lids from all bottles and jars before you put them in your glass-only bin.
Put beer bottle caps, and screw top lids from wine & spirit bottles in your recycling bin (yellow lid). Magnets and specialist equipment at the recovery facility will identify and sort these metals lids so they can be recycled.
You can leave the metals collars on bottles, and the labels on bottles and jars can stay on too.
Bags of rubbish, clothes, & cardboard boxes
Unfortunately, we also found bags of rubbish, old clothes, and kitty litter, all of which should never be put in the glass-only bin.
We also found cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and containers, and aluminium cans. These could have been recycled if they were put in the yellow-lidded recycling bin but are contaminants in the glass-only bin and are sent to landfill.
Why do we need a separate glass recycling bin?
A separate glass recycling stream means we can recover more glass, reduce litter, and help divert materials from landfill. It also contributes to a more efficient recycling system.
Glass is a valuable resource that can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing quality. This benefits the environment because we avoid using precious natural resources to create new glass.
If you’re unsure if your glass item can be recycled, check our website at surfcoast.vic.gov.au/glass for more information.
Get to know your glass recycling service and refresh your recycling knowledge, because your small acts make a big impact on Victoria’s sustainable future.