If you’re renovating your bathroom, you might wonder if you can recycle glass shower doors. One of the quickest ways to update your bathroom is adding or replacing existing glass shower doors. This bathroom addition is a surefire way to add both function and beauty to one of the most-used rooms in your home. If you’re removing some glass doors that have already been in place, your next question is likely what to do with them. Let’s take a look at the possibilities below.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
This familiar epithet has been around for decades, reminding us all to look for ways to protect our environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes information on recycling all types of materials, including glass. Glass is a unique material in that it can be recycled repeatedly without compromising the material.
By contrast, plastic can typically only be recycled two or three times. It is often more cost-effective to create new glass using recycled glass rather than from raw materials. As with all recyclables, there are some guidelines to follow when recycling glass.
Find the Proper Location
While recycling programs are pretty standard these days, and your local utility or trash service may provide a bin for recycling, you need to assess what items you’re putting in the bin carefully. In other words, you can’t simply recycle glass shower doors in the recycling bin along with yesterday’s soda cans.
Most residential recycling programs in Utah don’t actually accept even small glass jars or bottles in the recycling bin, so it’s essential to check whether yours does. You can check with your county or city to see where glass is accepted and what types are allowed. A shower door is a large piece of glass and needs extra care. If your recycling program does accept such a large item, you’ll need to take proper precautions, such as wrapping the glass in paper or taping it to prevent breakage or injury to recycling workers.
Give It a New Life
Shower glass doors are typically made from either tempered or laminated glass, and some may also have a hydrophobic coating. These qualities can make it more difficult to recycle the glass. In many cases, it might be a better option to find a way to repurpose your glass shower doors. You can donate them to your local building material reuse company or nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.
Check with neighborhood groups or list in classified ads to find someone who would like to take your shower doors off your hands. You can even create something new if you’re crafty, such as a glass mosaic or a greenhouse.
Create a Beautiful New Retreat
When you’re ready to recycle glass shower doors and replace them with something new, Northern Utah Glass is here to help you create a beautiful new space in your Davis County home. Take a look at our gallery of custom glass shower enclosures, and you’ll see our unmatched level of quality and craftsmanship. To schedule a free, in-home estimate, give us a call at 801-528-2800 or contact us online today!