TIP IT RUBBISH REMOVALDid your friends take the phrase “shatter the glass ceiling” quite literally, and you ended up with damaged furniture and a room full of glass?
While we can’t offer a solution to stop a party from getting out of hand, we know how you can stay safe. Broken glass items are very common, irrespective of whether you’re partying hard, have a naughty pet, or are simply careless.
So, we have formulated this guide to ensure that you can quickly remove broken glass from all corners of the room and dispose of it safely.
How To Dispose Of Broken Glass Safely?
Suppose you’re enjoying an evening with friends when an all-too-enthusiastic-for-alcohol individual knocks over their wine glass while fetching another bottle. There are glass shards everywhere, and your first thought is to prevent any serious injury.
You don’t need us to tell you that even smaller pieces of glass can be extremely dangerous, let alone the larger pieces. That’s why it’s a bad idea to dispose of broken drinking glasses in the garbage bin, and you should know about certain techniques to dispose of any glass object safely.
Broken Glass Disposal
You may think that all glass waste is recyclable, but that’s not the case. Usually, glass items, like glass jars and containers, go into the regular recycling bin to be broken down and reshaped into new glass items.
The catch is that this is not true for broken glass and other items like mirrors, crystal glass, light bulbs, and oven-proof glass china. While unbroken glass bottles go into standard recycling bins, broken pieces pose a health hazard and require special treatment.
We have mentioned some of the things that you can do to remove broken glass safely:
A. Wear Shoes
While the large pieces of glass are easy to spot, it’s the tiny pieces that prove most dangerous, resulting in deep cuts. As a result, you must immediately put on covered shoes and ask everyone else to do the same.
B. Have The Necessary Equipment
Removing broken glass in a safe manner is challenging, so you need to purchase the necessary equipment, such as a broom, dustpan, and brush. You can brush the desired area to scoop up the broken glass onto a pan.
Then, place them in a plastic bag and safely seal the opening to remove broken glass.
C. Vacuum
After removing the large pieces, use a vacuum to collect the smaller pieces that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Ensure to sweep the surrounding area, especially under tables and chairs, to dispose of any stray shards.
What To Do With Broken Glass?
Once you’ve gathered even the smaller pieces, a great idea would be to dispose of the broken glass in the general waste bin. But you might be wondering – isn’t broken glass recyclable?
The reality is that broken glass materials often contain contaminants, owing to which they don’t melt at the same temperature as recyclable glass. So, to avoid contaminating other recyclable materials, we suggest reading the following steps to know what to do.
A. Throw It Away
The first step is to gather the broken glass in a pile before you wrap the pieces in several sheets of newspaper or cloth. This will ensure that the glass doesn’t spill out and cut through the plastic bag or cardboard box.
Then, use sticky tape to secure the packaging and ensure it’s small enough to fit in the recycle bin. Before dropping it off, also remember to add a note stating that the package contains “broken glass” so that the rubbish removal company can handle it safely.
B. Local Recycling Centre
Another effective strategy is to take the glass to the local recycling facilities. This technique especially comes in handy if you have broken a large glass item, leading to a huge pile of glass that won’t fit in the bin bag.
So, just like the earlier method, you’ll have to collect the glass in plastic bags and seal them with tape to secure the contents. As a result, the glass won’t fall out when you’re driving to the glass recycling plant.
If needed, you can have someone pick up the package but call the recycling centre beforehand to make sure it is open. You can coordinate with the person who will transport the package, deciding on a suitable pick-up time while getting an estimate of the disposal rates.
C. Rubbish Removal And Recycling Companies
When you’re unsure about disposing of broken glass, it would be best to hire a professional company. Rubbish removal is a commercial business in Australia whereby licensed companies help remove the shattered glass from your home and recycle it safely.
They also use the latest equipment to snuff out any stray pieces to prevent injuries to your family. So, simply go online or talk to your neighbours to find a suitable rubbish removal company that can complete the job at affordable prices.
Can You Recycle All Glass?
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to recycle all glass, and that’s where a professional company proves useful. To the untrained eye, different types of glass may look the same, but people employed in rubbish removal know how to separate window glass, drinking glasses, or kitchenware to prevent contamination.
Moreover, due to the high durability and varying melting points of different materials, it would help if you asked a licensed organization to take care of recycling.
Final Words
With that, it’s a wrap; hopefully, now you know how to dispose of broken glass for the safety of people around you.
There’s no telling when you’ll have to rush to the broom cupboard to clean the broken glass from the living room because drunk uncles at Christmas parties are quite common. But even if you decide to stay home and read a book, neighborhood kids could hit the cricket ball straight through the window.
Long story short, always be ready and refer to our guide to stay safe in any glass-related accident.
