Put Bottles and Jars in the Right Glass Bank First Time
In Ireland, ordinary household glass bottles and jars normally go to a local bottle bank or bring bank. Sort them into clear, green or brown glass where separate containers are provided, and keep Pyrex, crockery, mirrors and other non-packaging glass out.
Use this guide to find a nearby glass drop-off, prepare bottles and jars correctly, sort unusual colours and understand why glass does not go through Ireland’s Re-turn Deposit Return Scheme.
Quick answer for Irish households
Take empty glass bottles and jars to your local bring bank and use the container for the correct glass colour. Labels can stay on. If your waste collector provides a separate household glass service, follow that provider’s glass instructions instead.
Do not confuse bottle banks with Re-turn
Glass drinks bottles are not currently part of Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme. Re-turn is for eligible PET plastic drinks bottles and aluminium or steel cans. Ordinary glass drink bottles should still use the glass-recycling route.
How to Find a Glass Bottle Bank Near You in Ireland
The simplest nationwide starting point is the MyWaste Waste Services Locator. It lists bring banks, recycling centres, civic amenity sites and other recognised drop-off locations around Ireland.
Open the national recycling locator
Go to the MyWaste recycling-location search rather than relying only on a general map result.
Search your town, address or local area
Look for a bring bank, bottle bank or civic amenity site that accepts household glass. A small bring bank is usually enough if you only have bottles and jars.
Check what is actually provided
Some sites have separate clear, green and brown glass containers. Others may provide additional recycling streams such as cans, textiles or paper. Use only the container marked for your material.
Check local access before a large trip
If you are taking many boxes of glass, check the local authority or site listing first. A small neighbourhood bank can be full even though a larger recycling centre remains available.
Best route for bottles and jars: use a bottle or bring bank rather than driving to a full civic amenity site unless that site is more convenient or you are already taking other separated recyclables.
What Glass Can Go Into an Irish Bottle Bank?
Irish bottle banks are designed primarily for glass packaging: bottles and jars. The material is different from heat-resistant cookware, window glass, ceramics and mirrors, so the fact that an object “looks like glass” does not automatically make it suitable.
| Item | Bottle bank? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Food jars | Yes | Empty them and sort by glass colour. |
| Wine and beer bottles | Yes | Use the correct clear, green or brown glass container. |
| Sauce and condiment bottles | Yes | Empty the contents first; labels can remain. |
| Empty glass medicine bottles | Yes, when empty | Do not use this route for medicine that is still inside the container. |
| Perfume-style glass packaging | Check item | Use MyWaste guidance if the container has pumps, mixed materials or cosmetic residue. |
| Pyrex ovenware | No | MyWaste directs Pyrex to general waste because heat-resistant glass is manufactured differently. |
| Cups, plates and crockery | No | Keep ceramic crockery out of bring-bank glass containers. |
| Mirrors | No | Check a civic amenity site or reuse/salvage route. |
Do not “glass-cycle” by appearance alone. Pyrex, ceramics, crockery and mirrors can contaminate the bottle-and-jar glass stream because they have different material properties or coatings.
Clear, Green or Brown: Which Glass Bank Should You Use?
MyWaste identifies three common glass streams for bottles and jars: clear, green and brown. Follow the wording on the bank itself when colour-separated containers are provided.
Clear glass
Use for colourless glass bottles and jars. Some coloured-looking packaging is actually clear glass with a painted or coated exterior.
Green glass
Use for normal green bottles and jars. MyWaste says genuine blue glass can also go into the green glass recycling container.
Brown glass
Use for brown or amber bottles and jars. MyWaste says genuine purple or red glass may be placed with brown glass.
Unsure whether unusual glass is painted? MyWaste suggests checking inside the neck or looking at the glass from the bottom. Painted clear glass may reveal its true colour there.
How to Prepare Glass Bottles and Jars for Recycling
You do not need to make every jar look new. The useful preparation is simple: remove the contents, separate unsuitable materials and keep the glass easy to place into the correct bank.
Do labels have to come off?
No. MyWaste specifically says there is no need to remove bottle and jar labels because they are dealt with during glass processing.
What about jar lids and bottle caps?
Separate loose metal or plastic lids from the bottle-bank glass. MyWaste’s guidance for lids, tops and caps places recyclable plastic and metal closures in the household recycling stream rather than treating them as glass.
Practical car-boot tip: sort glass into a sturdy reusable box rather than a thin bag. It is easier to carry safely and makes colour sorting at the bank quicker.
Glass Items That Should Not Go Into Bottle Banks
Bottle banks process container glass. Other glass-like household materials can have different melting temperatures, chemical composition, coatings or non-glass components.
| Item | Why it is different | Better route |
|---|---|---|
| Pyrex / ovenware | Heat-resistant treated glass. | MyWaste directs it to general waste. |
| Crockery and ceramics | Ceramic material is not bottle glass. | Reuse if suitable; otherwise follow general-waste/local guidance. |
| Mirrors | Coated flat glass and often a bulky object. | Designated civic amenity site, reuse or salvage where available. |
| Window and construction glass | Flat/building glass is a different waste stream. | Check a civic amenity or construction-waste route. |
| Light bulbs and tubes | They require a separate lighting/WEEE route. | Use MyWaste or an authorised WEEE/lightbulb drop-off. |
| Glass mixed with cosmetics | Pumps, mirrors, plastic components and residue can make the packaging unsuitable. | Check the exact item in MyWaste Waste A–Z. |
Broken does not mean bottle-bank suitable. A broken drinking glass, Pyrex dish or mirror is still the wrong material even though it has shattered into pieces that look similar to bottle glass.
Do Glass Bottles Go Into Re-turn Machines?
No. Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme currently covers eligible PET plastic drinks bottles and aluminium or steel drinks cans from 150 ml to 3 litres. Re-turn explicitly lists glass drinks containers as outside the scheme.
Glass drink bottle
Use the normal bottle-bank or local glass-collection route.
Eligible PET plastic bottle
If it is an in-scope Re-turn container, use a participating return point to recover the deposit.
Eligible aluminium/steel can
Use Re-turn when the container is covered by the scheme.
Re-turn states that glass is excluded because Ireland already has a glass recycling rate above 80%. The glass bottle-bank network therefore continues as a separate recycling route.
Can Glass Go Into Your Household Recycling Bin?
Do not assume glass belongs in the normal mixed household recycling bin. Ireland’s standard glass-packaging infrastructure uses bottle banks and civic amenity sites, while some collectors may provide a separate glass container or collection service.
If your waste company has supplied a dedicated glass box or bin, follow its instructions. That is different from adding bottles and jars to the normal mixed dry-recycling bin.
Check the service you actually have. A dedicated glass collection and a normal recycling bin are not the same thing. Use your collector’s label or MyWaste if you are unsure.
What to Do When the Bottle Bank Is Full or Your Glass Is Unusual
The bottle bank is full
Do not leave bottles, bags or boxes beside the containers. Take the glass home and use another recognised bring bank or civic amenity site. Material left beside a full bank is not correctly deposited recycling.
You cannot tell what colour the bottle is
Check the inside of the neck or the base. Some unusual colours are coatings on clear glass. For genuinely blue glass, MyWaste directs it to green; genuine red or purple glass may go with brown.
The jar still contains food
Empty the contents first. Removing the residue prevents smells, mess and unnecessary contamination. A quick rinse is usually enough for a household jar.
You have broken non-packaging glass
Do not place it in a bottle bank simply because it is broken. Identify whether it is Pyrex, crockery, mirror, window glass or another material and use the appropriate MyWaste route.
You have a very large quantity
For a house move, event clear-out or unusually large load, a civic amenity site may be more practical than repeatedly filling a neighbourhood bottle bank. Check the site’s current rules first.
Why Irish Bottle Banks Separate Glass by Colour
Colour separation protects the quality of recovered glass. Repak’s packaging guidance describes bottle-bank glass being collected as separate colour streams before screening, metal removal, crushing and further optical sorting.
The cleaned recycled glass, known as cullet, can then be used as feedstock for new glass products. Contaminants such as ceramics, stones, plastic bags and other wrong materials have to be removed during processing.
Your part of the process is small but useful: put only bottles and jars in, choose the correct colour bank and leave bags, boxes and other rubbish outside the glass container.
FAQ: Glass Recycling in Ireland
Where can I recycle glass bottles and jars in Ireland?
Use a local bottle bank or bring bank that has glass recycling containers. The MyWaste Waste Services Locator is a useful nationwide starting point for finding nearby facilities.
Do glass bottles go in the green recycling bin?
Do not assume they do. Ordinary household bottle and jar glass generally uses a bottle-bank or separate glass-collection route. Follow your own waste collector’s instructions if it provides a dedicated glass service.
Do I need to remove labels from glass jars?
No. MyWaste says labels can remain because they are removed during the glass recycling process.
Should I wash glass jars before recycling them?
They should be empty. A quick rinse is sensible where food or sticky residue remains, but there is no need to make the jar spotless.
Where does blue glass go?
MyWaste states that genuine blue glass can go into the green glass recycling container.
Where does red or purple glass go?
MyWaste states that genuine red or purple glass may go into the brown glass bank. Check first that the colour is not simply painted onto clear glass.
Can Pyrex go into a bottle bank?
No. MyWaste says Pyrex is specially treated to withstand heat and directs it to the general waste route rather than bottle-bank recycling.
Can plates, mugs or ceramics go into a glass bank?
No. Crockery and ceramics do not belong in glass bottle banks. Usable items may be suitable for reuse; broken crockery should follow the appropriate general-waste guidance.
Can mirrors go into a bottle bank?
No. MyWaste treats mirrors as a different bulky-waste item and recommends checking a designated civic amenity site or suitable reuse or salvage route.
Can I return a glass drinks bottle to a Re-turn machine?
No. Glass drinks containers are currently outside Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme. Re-turn covers eligible PET plastic bottles and aluminium or steel cans from 150 ml to 3 litres.
What should I do if a bottle bank is full?
Do not leave bottles or bags beside it. Take the glass home and use another recognised bottle bank or civic amenity site.
Is RecyclingCentreIreland.org an official bottle-bank operator?
No. RecyclingCentreIreland.org is an independent information guide. MyWaste, local authorities, waste collectors and relevant recycling scheme operators should be used for live service and location information.
Official and Primary Sources Used
- MyWaste — Glass Bottles & Jars
- MyWaste — Waste Services Locator
- MyWaste — Pyrex disposal guidance
- MyWaste — Crockery disposal guidance
- MyWaste — Mirrors guidance
- MyWaste — Lids, tops and caps
- Re-turn — eligible and excluded drinks containers
- Repak — packaging recycling information
Bring-bank locations, collector services and individual site arrangements can change. Check the live MyWaste or local-authority listing before making a special journey with a large quantity of glass.
The simple glass rule to remember
Bottle or jar: use the glass bank. Empty it, sort by colour and leave the label on. Pyrex, ceramics, mirrors, window glass and light bulbs need a different route.
Independent information guide: RecyclingCentreIreland.org is not MyWaste, Repak, Re-turn, a local authority, waste collector or bottle-bank operator.