It is normal to see broken glass residues in many industries. Many businesses in manufacturing, construction, automotive, food and beverages, hospitality, retail, healthcare facilities, commercial greenhouses, and arts and crafts generate a sizeable amount of broken glass residue.
Glass is important in the industries that use it. These industries use it for packaging, production, installation, repair and replacement, and storage. With their active use, it is no wonder that they have tons of broken glass waste. However, the problem is that disposing of these glass wastes can be daunting.
How Should You Dispose of Broken Glass?
Broken glass can be harmful to the environment and the person handling it. Therefore, following an organized disposal manner is important to ensure everyone’s safety.
Following the proper steps to dispose of glass residue can help minimize hazards. Therefore, being educated about handling and disposing of glass waste is important. You should also endeavor to educate other people.
Prioritize Your Safety
Start by ensuring that you are safe. Do not pick up glass pieces with your bare hands; they can cut you. Also, going near it can lead to foot cuts and other accidents. Wear appropriate gear like thick, impenetrable gloves and socks before handling broken glasses.
Contain the Glass
The next step is to dispose of the glass in a proper container. Dumping the glass directly into the trash can or recycle bin is harmful. This can cause the glass to harm people handling the waste or the recyclables.
Also, the glass can pierce the trash bag and fall out, leading to a bigger mess. Therefore, it is essential that you properly contain the broken glass in a container that can hold it. Opt for putting it in a paper or cardboard bag and secure it to prevent any accident.
Label the Container
It is not enough to put the broken glass in a good container. To further make it less harmless. Ensure you label it properly so that people dealing with it later, whether for recycling or trashing, will handle it properly.
There are different guidelines for labeling sharp, dangerous objects like broken glass. However, labeling it as hazardous or dangerous may be a good place to start.
Consider Your Local Regulations
Now that you are about to dispose of your glass properly, you must check your local waste management commission’s website to know the most appropriate way to go about it. Some communities can allow you to thrash it with household waste, while you have to follow a more rigid protocol in other communities.
When disposing of broken glass, you must follow these procedures to ensure you do not harm yourself or break any regulations.
Consider Recycling
Check if the glass is recyclable and recycle it, following the proper procedures. Glasses like beverage bottles are generally recyclable; you should get them into a recycling plant nearby. You may even get paid for this, bringing in some financial gains.
How Not to Dispose of Broken Glass?
Disposing of broken glass wrongly can cause you a lot of trouble. Be equally aware of improper glass disposal options to prevent yourself from causing personal and environmental hazards.
There are improper ways to dispose of broken glass. If dumped into the environment, these methods can cause injuries and pose a long-term threat. Therefore, you should know ways not to trash your glass waste.
Dumping in Public Spaces
It is wrong to dump broken glass in public places. It will pollute the environment, causing landfills. It can also harm other people. If traced back to you, it will get you into trouble with the authorities, leading to a heavy fine or even imprisonment. Also, as glass does not degenerate easily, it will be a long-term problem, persisting for so long!
Flushing Down the Toilet
Flushing broken glass down the toilet will not help get rid of it. Instead, it will create a bigger problem. Your toilet can be clogged, creating even bigger plumbing problems in your home. This will cause a lot of trouble and cost you a lot of money, making it even more stressful than it would have been if you did it the right way.
Leaving It Lying Around
It is improper and dangerous to leave broken glass lying around. This is because it can injure people and lead to accidents. Also, it is a problem that can persist for a long time as broken glasses are not biodegradable.
Dumping in Water Bodies
Dumping broken glasses into water bodies can cause harm to the water, the users, and the wildlife inside the water. It can cause the water to be unsuitable for its previous purpose, making it difficult for the user to get their supply as easily as they used to. Also, it can cause harm to users who enter the river without knowing of the presence of such hazardous material.
Not Labelling it Correctly
Improper labeling of broken glass can lead to misinformation. Eventually, this can lead to mishandling, which can cause a lot of accidents. Broken glass is dangerous, necessitating the labeling. Therefore, you must correctly label it to prevent any problems.
Can Broken Glass be Recycled?
Yes, broken glass can be recycled, and it is even advised for many reasons.
Recycling broken glass helps conserve resources and reduce landfill waste. Also, it helps protect the environment, make a better ecosystem, and reduce energy consumption as opposed to making new glasses. This helps ensure resource efficiency while reducing carbon footprints and creating jobs. Therefore, recycling broken glass does not only ensure safety but also promotes a sustainable environment.
To recycle broken glass, you must first know what type of glass it is and be sure it is acceptable as a recyclable material. Glass residue from window panes or mirrors may not be acceptable for recycling. However, clear, brown, or green glass containers used for bottles and jars are recyclable. You should also check if the shard glass is acceptable for recycling, as some recycling programs have specifications on shard size.
Ensure that the glass for recycling is clean and store it in a suitable packaging. Drop it off at designated glass recycling centers or have them pick it up if they do. Recycling may be a great option for many reasons, but you should only recycle suitable glass waste. If a glass residue has been mixed with contaminants, you should dispose of it as hazardous waste.