The Power of Glass Recycling: From Bottles to Buildings

06/11/2025

Recycling glass is more than just a waste reduction strategy—it’s the cornerstone in the production of our fiberglass insulation. Transforming glass into high-quality, energy-efficient insulation products contributes to a circular economy and reduces carbon emissions. Today, our insulation products contain an average of 55% UL certified recycled glass content. And we’re striving for even more.

Glass Recycling: A Sustainable Resource

Unlike plastic, glass can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality. This recyclability makes it an ideal material for creating fiberglass and offers sustainable benefits:

• Energy reduction: Fiberglass is made by melting existing glass and other raw materials (i.e. sand). Using recycled glass in our manufacturing process, reduces energy consumption up to 20%.
• Carbon reduction: Using just one pound of recycled glass saves 0.7 pounds of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere. In 2024, Knauf recycled more than 800 million pounds of glass into insulation for homes and buildings.

The Journey of a Glass Bottle

Every recycled glass bottle could become a part of something bigger. Watch this video to see how Knauf turns recycled bottles into energy saving insulation.

How You Can Help

Your small action today makes a big impact tomorrow. Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Recycle glass properly: Rinse your jars and remove lids and caps before recycling. Do not include any type of ceramics in glass recycling bins.
• Separate glass: If your community provides glass-only recycling bins, use them. Separating your glass at home requires a little extra dedication, but it’s worth it.
• Advocate for glass recycling: Glass recycling is not available everywhere. If you do not have it available, raise your voice to your local government. A simple email can be a starting point to make it clear that you want better recycling facilities in your area.

Why it Matters

Recycling glass does more than just reduce waste. It helps save energy, supports more sustainable building materials, and helps create a better future for all of us. When you recycle a bottle, it can come back as something powerful and practical, like the insulation in a home or school.

Sources

• Glass recycling | Climate Technology Centre & Network | 1180889
• Recycling Carbon Footprint Savings Calculator [2025]