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Virginia's Glass Bottle Recycling Law

When you place a glass bottle in a recycling bin or deliver it to your local recycling center, you initiate a process that benefits your community and the world. Recycled bottles and jars are rescued from a future in a landfill, and instead are processed into useful consumer or industry materials. In Virginia, recycling is further beneficial because it assists your locality in meeting mandatory recycling goals imposed by the state government.

  1. What Is a Recycling Rate?

    • To help regulate and evaluate the recycling programs of individual communities, the state of Virginia calculates a recycling rate for every county, city, town and regional authority. The recycling rate is designed to assess the wastefulness of each locality and identify problem areas. An area's recycling rate divides the tons of recyclables by the total municipal solid waste. The result is a percentage rate -- a higher percentage indicates more recycling.

    Mandatory Recycling Rates

    • The Virginia General Assembly regulates the minimum recycling rate of each community. Since 1991, the minimum rates have risen from 10 percent to 25 percent in many locations. Currently, areas with high unemployment or very low population density have mandatory recycling rates of 15 percent, while all other areas have the standard 25 percent rate. If a city or county falls below its required recycling rate, it may be required to pay fines or submit a Recycling Action Plan. According to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, most areas recycle well above the mandatory levels, making the state's overall recycling rate 38.6 percent in 2009.

    Recycling Glass

    • Because each locality in Virginia has its own recycling program, the specific materials that can be required vary considerably. Glass bottles, as well as paper, metal, and plastic items, are among the most commonly collected items, according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Specific regulations may vary from region to region.

      For example, Hanover County accepts clear, green, blue and brown glass for recycling. The recycling program requests that you remove caps and tops. Glass recycling services do not extend to other glass beyond bottles and jars. Light bulbs, dishware, ceramics and mirrors are not permitted. Check with your local recycling program manager or the website of your recycling services for details on permitted items.

    Products of Glass Recycling

    • After glass bottles and jars are collected for recycling, they are processed into products for future use. The glass is crushed in local plants and then delivered to glass processing centers that separate it by color. This processed glass, or cullet, may be used to manufacture fiberglass, filter liquids or for decorative purposes.

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