Not sure what to do with your empty jars of tomato sauce or in our case the endless bottles of kombucha? Here are some tips to repurpose your glass containers.
Even after exhausting all the creative ways, crafts and DIYS to to reuse our glass jars and bottles, we still struggle making use of all of them. So if you’re like us and are trying to figure out how to dispose of all the glass jars you have collected over time, we’ve got a solution for you.
Of course, the first solution is to refuse using items that come in glass (but of course, glass over plastic – we all know that) by making your own items from scratch like sauerkraut or salad dressing. But let’s face it, we can’t do everything. So what about those ones that are leftover?
Here’s what we suggest, reach out to your local zero waste store and see if they are accepting glass containers. They are usually open to taking your reusable glass containers for customers who forget theirs. Our go-to spot is Eco + Amour! Located near Eglinton and Warden (30 Bertrand Ave. Unit C6) in Toronto.
They will disinfect your jars and keep them handy for others to use – YAY! Their only request is that the opening is large enough to refill, your typical water bottle spout is a touch too small but everything else is fair game! Get your extra jars together and pay them a visit. They will be thrilled to see you and we guarantee that something in their amazing store will catch your eye!
In Toronto, we recycle glass along with all other materials like styrofoam, paper, and plastic bags altogether. This leads to contamination due to food residue (people not cleaning their containers before recycling) resulting in waste, as items like cardboard and paper absorb the food and can no longer be reused. This adds billions of dollars to the cost of maintaining the city’s recycling program and for sorting, disposing of, etc. of materials.
Toronto has the highest contamination rates in the country because of the lack of attention, awareness, and knowledge around how to recycle. Vancouver is one step ahead of us, requiring glass to be separated when recycling and styrofoam and plastic bags must be taken to a local depot. This way when glass is broken into tiny shards in the recycling bin, which is almost inevitable, we know it is only with glass and can be easily melted together to be repurposed and reused.
Repurpose your glass containers by donating them to a store near you!
Resources:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/recycling-contamination-1.4606893
