Glass Recycling

 

Glass is inert but not biodegradable. If thrown in a landfill it takes up valuable space and wastes a resource that can be infinitely recycled with no loss in quality.

   

Glass is made with sand. Besides air and water, sand is the most consumed resource in the world, primarily in concrete. The angular sand mined from rivers, the bottom of the ocean, and beaches is the perfect aggregate for concrete. Because harvesting from these vulnerable areas disturbs sea-life, industries are now exploring crushed glass as an alternative to sand. Once crushed into various grades, glass can be used for concrete, roadbeds, bedding for pipes, filler around retaining walls, reflective paint, sandblast material, fiberglass insulation, and new glass containers. 

   

In 2023, Recycle BC announced approval of Progressive Planet (a CleanTech and Manufacturing Company) as the end market for glass collected through the program (as long as they meet and adhere to Recycle BC standards). Once the Pilot Plant in Kamloops is built it will use 100% post-consumer glass to make PozGlass, a replacement for the Portland cement and fly ash from coal plants currently used in concrete. This made-in-Canada breakthrough will reduce the carbon footprint of the cement industry. 

   

A similar practice was started on Lasqueti Island in 2019, when a donated glass crusher was used to create a rough aggregate that locals used for concrete projects. Unfortunately, the crusher has since broken down and now the glass collected on Lasqueti is shipped off-island to other recycling programs or ends up in the garbage.

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Currently, clear and coloured glass bottles and jars can be taken to the Lasqueti Recycle Depot where they become part of the regional recycling program with Recycle BC. Glass lightbulbs can be taken to Product Care lightbulb recycling depot in Parksville; and refundable glass beverage containers (like juice and wine bottles) can be taken to a Return-It Center in Parksville for a deposit refund. There is no formal recycling program for glass household items like glassware, decorations, windows, and mirrors. These should be placed carefully in the garbage or given new life in your next piece of art! 

 

- Jenny V