In partnership with the Pennsylvania Resources Council

Did you know glass is infinitely recyclable? And there’s a very robust market for recycled glass that turns into a variety of products, from new glass bottles to insulation.

Recycled glass is in high demand because it is less expensive to make new glass from recycled glass (as opposed to new raw materials). In some cases, regulations even require products to contain a certain percentage of recycled glass feedstock.

Glass bottles and jars inside the glass collection bin at Concord Township — Glass bottles inside the bin. Please don’t put plastic, cardboard, or other contaminating materials in the bin.

For some materials, recycling is really challenging because it’s not particularly efficient or financially viable. But that’s not the case with glass, which makes it especially important to keep glass in circular use. Reuse, reuse, recycle!

Unfortunately, lots of glass doesn’t make it into the recycling stream, and it’s such a waste. Concord Township is partnering with the Pennsylvania Resources Council to help more glass find new life and stay out of landfills. Here’s how it works and why it matters.

Above, I interviewed Sarah Alessio Shea, executive director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council, to learn more about their glass collection program and why it matters. Check out our Q&A above, or get more details below if you prefer the classic written word.

What is the glass collection recycling program?

Pennsylvania Resources Council began the glass recycling program to get more valuable glass out of landfills and waste streams. Some waste collection companies stopped accepting glass in their single-stream recycling programs because it was a nuisance. Broken glass and messy jars contaminated other valuable recycling feedstock like cardboard and aluminum. Other Pennsylvanians had limited access to glass recycling before the single-stream changes.

Glass can be recycled infinitely, and there’s a robust market for recycled glass. It’s less expensive and demands less energy to use recycled feedstock (i.e., raw material input) than virgin inputs. In some cases, manufacturers must use at least a certain percentage of recycled materials in their manufacturing processes.

There are plenty of customers for recycled glass but not enough people and organizations putting their used glass into proper recycling streams. Pennsylvania Resources Council hopes its local collection bins help connect the dots in this life-cycle journey.

The glass collection bin at Concord Township Public Works building — The glass collection bin at the Concord Township Public Works building. Slide open the black cover on the top to drop glass into the bin.

Who can use the collection bins? How do they work?

Anybody can drop glass bottles and jars into the collection bin. The program charges no fees to individual users.

Once the bin is full, a glass recycling company transports the glass to its processing facility, where it sorts the glass by color, breaks it into pieces, and prepares it for use in new bottles and jars. Almost all recycling from these collection bins happens in Pennsylvania, so your green glass could end up as a new Yuengling bottle at a local bar. Isn’t that fun? 🍻

If you have access to single-stream recycling and it’s working for you, keep doing your thing. But if you have the time and energy to collect your glass jars and bottles and make a periodic trip to the collection bin, you can give that old glass waste an elevated new life while doing the planet a little favor.

Get your kids involved. Make it a friendly competition with neighbors to see who can collect the most glass. Gamify this thing, ‘cuz the more fun we make it, the more successful it will be.

What types of glass go into the collection bin?

Mustard, mayo, salsa, booze. Soda, kombucha, baby food, jam. All the glass bottles, jars, and jugs. Give them a quick rinse, but no need to remove labels or make sure they’re squeaky clean before you drop them in that dirty bin.

No window panes. No mirror glass. No plates, no bowls, no coffee mugs (most of which are ceramic anyway). And none of the wedding china that might still be boxed up from the big day.

Where is the glass collection bin located?

It’s a giant blue bin, so once you’re nearby, you won’t miss it. It’s parked in the Concord Township Public Works lot at 675 Smithbridge Road, across Bob Mench Rd from the Rachel Kohl Community Library.

Who pays for the collection program, and how long does it last?

A state grant issued to the Pennsylvania Resources Council sponsors the current bin. The bin is available through December 31, 2026. If the program is successful and Concord Township wants to keep hosting the bin, the township or a third-party sponsor would pay the hauling costs, about $800 per bin. With regular use, bins fill up every couple of months.

But Township taxes don’t necessarily have to pay for this useful community program. Businesses can sponsor bins, especially those that use recycled glass. Does anyone know someone at Yuengling who might want a cheap advertisement on a reputable community resource stewardship program? Any company could sponsor the collection bin, though users of recycled glass make excellent candidates. 😉

Right now, Pennsylvania Resources Council has a larger network of collection bins in southwestern Pennsylvania. They currently have three bins in southeastern Pennsylvania and are looking to grow the program in this area. A larger network of bins leads to more efficient collection and lower costs.

Do you want a bin in your area?

Maybe you don’t live close enough to Concord Township to make the periodic trip to drop off your glass bottles and jars at the bin, but you’d love to have one where you live. Help grow the southeastern Pennsylvania collection bin network by contacting the Pennsylvania Resources Council ([email protected]). Let them know you’re interested in stewarding the program in your area.

Got any other questions?

What else can I answer? What did I miss?

If you’re not already signed up, subscribe to the Connect Chadds Ford newsletter (right down there 👇🏻). Every other week through the end of the year, I’ve partnered with the Pennsylvania Resources Council to share a fun fact about glass recycling and a little reminder to give the bin some love. Who doesn’t love a fun factoid they can store away for trivia night or to be the cool kid at the dinner party?

Fun Facts about Glass Recycling

If you missed the fun facts from previous newsletters, here they are. More coming, but newsletter readers get to see them first! I know you’re waiting on the edge of your seat. 💖

🍾 Glass bottles and jars are 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without any loss of purity or quality. (9/10/26 newsletter)

More to come…