J&B Recycling Knowledge

Flat Glass Recycling and Waste Management

Flat glass, also known as sheet glass or plate glass, is commonly used for windows, glass doors, windscreens, transparent walls, and more. Unlike container glass (used for bottles and jars) or glass fibre (used for insulation and composites), flat glass serves specific applications where a smooth, flat surface is essential. How Easy is it to Recycle Flat Glass? Flat Glass can be melted down to make new glass products repeatedly – it is 100% and endlessly recyclable. In fact, it is the perfect circular economy material. And making new glass from recycled glass reduces CO2 emissions and energy use.

However, flat glass must be collected separately from bottle glass, as their recycling processes differ. At J&B Recycling, we provide a dedicated flat glass collection service for businesses such as glaziers and window manufacturers across the Northeast of England. This service covers a wide range of flat glass types, including:

• Laminated glass
• Wired glass
• Toughened/Tempered glass
• Tinted glass
• Mirrored glass
• Float glass

Flat glass shouldn’t be put in your kerbside recycling bin at home, but you can take it to your local Household Recycling Centre (or tip).

What happens if you don’t Recycle Flat Glass?

Glass that is not reused or recycled will take over 4,000 years to decompose. Sadly, figures show that most glazing, refurbishment, and demolition glass waste currently ends up as aggregate i.e., it is almost never recycled into new glass products, instead it is recycled into raw materials like sand and gravel. That is if it avoids landfill, which contributes to climate change and loss of biodiversity.

Can you Reuse Flat Glass?

You might be able to extract the glass from your window and turn it into a cabinet, tabletop or picture frame. Obviously, this sort of thing is inherently dangerous, and requires that you take adequate precautions. Use protective goggles, gloves, and make sure that you sweep up any fragments or dust when you are done.

Most of us would hesitate before going to all this effort – particularly if we’re not very creative. But you might find that someone else has a use for your old window! Making a listing on a site like Gumtree or Facebook is free and may yield results.

If your business generates flat glass waste, J&B Recycling can help. We operate commercial collection services from the Scottish Borders down to Hull and North Yorkshire, with a focus on areas like:

• Teesside: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton
• North East England: Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Sunderland, North Tyneside, and Northumberland

Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your flat glass recycling needs.

If your business generates Flat Glass waste, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.