Glass

Identification: Commonly used as food and beverage containers, glass is identified by its transparent nature and is heavier than plastic.

There is currently no place to recycle glass in Fairbanks

The current prices for recycled glass do not cover the cost of collecting, sorting, and transporting the heavy material from Alaska to glass plants in the lower 48. Glass bottle manufacturing has decreased 50% over the last half century since plastic bottles and aluminum cans have taken a large part of the container market, and the market value value of recycled glass continues to decrease.

Despite the expense and difficulty of recycling glass, the environmental value of using post-consumer glass in glass production (energy savings, reduction in greenhouse gases, waste reduction) still holds strong.