A few days ago I discussed the use of silicone, the importance of purchasing quality silicone, and touched on the debate on whether or not it is sustainable. Today is a discussion on glass. While glass is sustainable as it is fully recyclable, there is a point when it isn’t as sustainable as the zero-waste community would like you to think. Purchasing cases of new glass jars can be tempting, especially when you strive to be was plastic-free as possible, but that’s not sustainable. Purchasing more, and throwing away or recycling the glass you currently have, versus simply using what you have. The aesthetic is nice to look at, but it’s not practical and defeats the purpose of being more sustainable.

Speaking of sustainable, nearly all glass is 100% recyclable. Unfortunately, not enough glass is recycled. As with other items sent to landfills, an item that can be recycled only gets its full life when it is used to its full potential and recycled. In the United States (2017 is the latest update), of the 11,380 tons of glass that was generated, only 3,030 tons were recycled, versus the 6,870 tons sent to landfill (EPA, 2017). Ideally, glass would be used until it breaks, and even if it breaks, would be recycled. It has infinite life. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Another issue with glass is weight. Since glass is heavier and more fragile than plastic and aluminum, shipping it takes more energy (Murphy, 2019) and often times more packaging. Since my fiancé has a shop that ships glassware, I know this first-hand. When glass isn’t packaged properly, there may be damage in transit, which he has experienced with suppliers. It renders the glass useless for his purposes, but it can still be used or recycled.

My journey with glass: When I started out, I went “balls to the wall”. I bought a bunch of reusables I didn’t need, including a ton of glass jars. As it turned out, I was able to gift many of them on a cruise we took, since I didn’t need as many as I bought. I kept a few mason jars since they can be heated, but since then have been keeping the jars I have from jams, sauces, etc. They work well for future food storage, as drinking glasses, and for other odds and ends that need storing. Plus, clear glass allows us to see what we have so we don’t buy unnecessarily. We don’t use drinking glasses since the jars hold a beverage just as well. Drinking glasses may look nice, but they’re not multifunctional. Any glass jars we have that we don’t need are either repurposed for gifts, donated (not currently due to the pandemic), or recycled.

How do you handle the accumulation of too much glass? Do you repurpose what you obtain? As always, I hope you are safe and well.

Peace & Love, always!

References

EPA. (2017). Glass: Material-specific data. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/glass-material-specific-data

Murphy, L. (2019). Beverage container showdown: Plastic vs. glass vs. aluminum. Retrieved from https://earth911.com/living-well-being/recycled-beverage-containers/