Glass Waste Collection for Businesses: Everything You Need to Know

May 21
4 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

If your business uses bottles, jars or glass packaging, there is a good chance you will need glass waste collection.

But many business owners are unsure about:

What counts as glass waste
What type of bin they need
How often collections should happen
Whether glass can go in mixed recycling
And which businesses need a dedicated glass collection service

This guide explains everything you need to know.

What is Glass Waste?

Glass waste refers to glass items your business throws away that can be collected and recycled separately from general waste.

For most businesses, this mainly means:

Empty bottles
Glass jars
Beverage containers
Food packaging made from glass

Rather than sending glass to general waste, businesses can arrange a dedicated collection service so it can be recycled properly.

For hospitality businesses especially, glass waste is often produced every single day. So a glass collection service is highly recommended.

What counts as Glass Waste?

Many businesses produce more glass waste than they realise.

Glass Waste typically includes

✅ Glass bottles

✅ Wine bottles

✅ Beer bottles

✅ Spirit bottles

✅ Soft drink bottles

✅ Glass food jars

✅ Empty condiment jars

✅ Glass packaging

For example:

A pub may throw away dozens of glass bottles daily; a restaurant may dispose of wine bottles and food jars; and a hotel bar may generate high volumes of beverage bottles.

What should NOT go in a Glass Waste bin?

Not all glass belongs in commercial glass recycling and this is where many businesses get caught out.

Avoid putting these in your Glass Waste bin

❌ Ceramics or crockery

❌ Drinking glasses (like wine glasses)

❌ Mirrors

❌ Window glass

❌ Pyrex or heat-resistant glass

❌ Light bulbs

These materials can't go in because these materials are processed differently and will contaminate the typical glass recycling process.

Can Glass go in Mixed Recycling?

Some providers accept glass as part of mixed recycling collections. Others require a dedicated glass waste collection service.

This often depends on:

Supplier requirements
Collection setup
Waste volume
Business type

For hospitality businesses producing regular glass waste, a separate glass collection is often recommended.

Why separate Glass Waste?

Separating glass waste helps businesses:

Reduce general waste volumes
Prevent contamination of mixed recycling
Support sustainability goals

Glass is highly recyclable and can often be processed repeatedly. In fact, if delt with properly, glass is 100% recyclable. Meaning a glass jar put into your glass recycling bin can be recycled back into a jar.

What bin does Glass Waste require?

A 240L glass waste wheelie bin is the only size option available.

This is because glass is heavy so filling up a larger bin such as an 1100L one will make it too heavy to be lifted by collection trucks.

If you produce a lot of glass waste, simply have multiple 240L bins.

You should also note that you must not use bin bags and place glass waste directly into the bin.

How many Glass Waste bins do I need?

Business Type	Typical Bin Size
Small café	240L
Restaurant	2+ 240L
Pub	2+ 240L
Hotel	3+ 240L

However, glass waste volume is what matters most. A busy independent pub may produce more glass than a larger restaurant.

If you're unsure, many businesses start smaller and increase capacity later.

How often should Glass Waste be collected?

This depends on:

Bottle volume
Customer footfall
Storage space
Type of business

Typical collection frequencies...

Business Type	Typical Frequency
Café	Fortnightly or weekly
Restaurant	Weekly
Pub	Weekly or multiple scheduled collections
Hotel	Weekly or multiple scheduled collections

Which businesses need Glass Waste collection?

Pubs

Common glass waste includes:

Beer bottles
Wine bottles
Spirit bottles

Restaurants

Common glass waste includes:

Beer bottles
Wine bottles
Food jars

Hotels

Common glass waste includes:

Bar bottles
Guest food and drink packaging

Cafés

Common glass waste includes:

Soft drink bottles
Glass jars

Convenience Stores

Common glass waste includes:

Damaged or unsold glass-packaged products

Common Glass Waste mistakes businesses make

Putting the wrong type of Glass into recycling

Items like crockery, mirrors and drinking glasses often cannot go into standard glass waste bins.

Throwing Glass into General Waste

This increases waste unnecessarily and reduces recycling opportunities. It can even cause you to be fined.

Underestimating waste volumes

Hospitality businesses often generate more bottle waste than expected. So choose a waste contract that's flexible so you can request more bins or more frequent collections if you find yourself with more glass waste than first anticipated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as business glass waste?

Glass waste usually includes bottles, jars and recyclable glass packaging produced by businesses.

Can drinking glasses go into glass recycling?

Not usually. Pint glasses, crockery and heat-resistant glass are often treated differently.

Can glass go into mixed recycling?

Sometimes, but not always. Some providers require separate glass collections.

Which businesses need glass waste collection?

Pubs, restaurants, cafés, hotels, bars and retail businesses commonly require glass recycling services.

Compare Glass Waste collection prices

Not sure what glass waste setup your business needs? Need help choosing the right bin size? Or simply want to compare prices?

Compare glass waste collection quotes tailored to your business and find a solution that works for your waste volume, collection needs and budget.