Frequently Asked Questions | McKean County Glass Recycling Program

What kinds of glass can be recycled?
Glass bottles and jars of any color used for food, beverages, canning (Ball, Atlas, Mason), vitamins, medicines, perfumes or colognes, and candles are acceptable.
What are the requirements?
Please remove any food, drink, and oily or waxy residue from the container. Remove the caps, lids, corks, and any plastic inserts such as in olive oil bottles or liquor bottles. Labels and neck rings, aluminum, or plastic, can be left on. Place glass bottles and jars loosely in the carts; no plastic bags or boxes, please.
Does the glass need to be sorted by color?
Yes. There are three color categories:
  • Clear glass – also known as ‘flint’, many glass food containers & beverage containers are clear. Place these in the carts with the gray lids labeled “Clear Glass”.
  • Brown glass – also known as ‘amber’, many beer bottles as well as a few wine bottles, vitamin or medicine bottles, and soda bottles are brown. Place these in the carts with the brown lids labeled “Brown Glass”.
  • Green & Blue glass – the colors of green glass vary widely from forest, jade, Kelly, lime, and olive1. Most colored wine bottles are one of these shades of green. The best way to determine if a container is a shade of green is to hold it up to the light. If you see any hint of green, then it should go in the green cart. Blue bottles range from light sapphire to deep cobalt. Place all green and blue bottles in the carts with the green lids labeled “Green/Blue Glass”.
Please note: some cosmetic or food containers or decorative items are made of an opaque or translucent white glass called ‘milk’ glass. Milk glass is not recyclable and should not be mixed with bottles and jars.
Can bar and restaurant owners drop off glass at these stations too?
Yes, bar and restaurant owners and managers are encouraged to use these stations. If there is interest in setting up paid collection service at your business, contact Prism for a consultation. Prism will work to design a system specific to your needs and possibly reduce your waste hauling fees.
Why can’t other types of glass like windows and lightbulbs be recycled?
Many other glass products are not manufactured in the same way or with the same materials as food and beverage container glass. When mixed in, these other types of glass will cause manufacturing defects. Never place anything but bottles and jars in the Ardagh glass recycling carts. For a tutorial on the different types of glass, visit Friends of Glass provided here.
What should be done if there is contamination or any disallowed items?
If there are items other than bottles or jars at the collection stations, please call or text Prism at 814-528-4508 or email info@prismrecycling.com to report it.
How can I help?
Prism is looking for Glass Advocates in all communities to help spread the word about the program, how to properly participate, and how the program helps the economy of McKean County. If you are interested to become a Glass Advocate, please contact Prism at info@prismrecycling.com.

Visit the Glass Packaging Institute and the Glass Recycling Coalition to learn more about glass containers and glass recycling. Thank you for keeping glass out of the trash!

Visit the Glass Packaging Institute and the Glass Recycling Coalition to learn more about glass containers and glass recycling. Thank you for keeping glass out of the trash! For an interesting read on green glass, visit https://realseaglass.com/pages/all-about-green-lime-and-olive-sea-glass