Where can I find a collection bin to drop-off my glass?
All Ripple Glass recycling drop-off bins are open to the public and free to use. Just look for the purple bin! Choose your region and enter your zip code to search for nearby bin locations:
Kansas City:
www.rippleglass.com/kc/
Atlanta:
www.rippleglass.com/atl/
St. Louis:
www.rippleglass.com/stl/
What types of glass can I recycle?
Ripple Glass accepts all colors of food and beverage glass. Labels can stay on. If you can see through it, we can likely recycle it! For a complete list of what can and can’t be recycled by region, please check out the links below:
Kansas City:
www.rippleglass.com/kc/
Atlanta:
www.rippleglass.com/atl/
St. Louis:
www.rippleglass.com/stl/
PDFs are also available for download on each page.
Can I put windows, shower doors, or glass tabletops in the purple bin?
Sometimes. If the frames, bases, and hardware are removed, it is probably okay. You’ll also want to make sure it fits through the 3’x3’ windows on the purple bins. If it doesn’t, contact us and we’ll provide instructions on how to drop it off at our processing facility. We cannot accept glass that is laminated (think windshields), or safety glass that is designed not to break. When in doubt, e-mail us at info@rippleglass.com.
Do I have to separate glass by color?
No, you don’t! All brown, green, blue, and clear food and beverage containers can be mixed in the same collection bin.
Do I need to take the labels, caps, and lids off?
Nope! You can leave all the labels on your glass, unless you’re into label peeling for some reason. You can even leave your lids on! Corks stuck inside wine bottles are okay as well.
Do I have to rinse the container?
Well, that would be nice. But it’s not essential. You may, however, decide that rinsing the containers keeps your home or garage smelling a bit fresher.
Where can I buy a small Ripple tote for my home?
If you live in the Kansas City metropolitan area, you can find them in stores near you here or order one online. Totes are not yet available for Atlanta or St. Louis, but check back soon as we plan to expand! Questions? Contact us at info@rippleglass.com.
How do you create a useful product out of what used to be waste material?
Put simply – hard work and technological wizardry. Check out this video or read below for more detail:
It all starts with you and your neighbors, depositing empty glass bottles and jars into those strikingly handsome purple collection bins. When a bin gets full, a local company picks it up, brings it to our processing plant, and dumps it into our receiving bunkers. Our operators feed the glass onto a conveyor, where it goes through a number of stages: decontamination (removal of all large non-glass materials), an initial crush to reduce whole containers into smaller pieces, drying, optical sorting to remove small contaminants and separate colors (the wizardry part), grinding and screening (guaranteeing size distribution matches customer specifications). The finished material – furnace-ready cullet – waits in silos to be loaded into trucks for transportation to our customers’ nearby facilities.
Check out our virtual tour video to see it yourself!
What is glass cullet?
Glass cullet is the fancy term for glass that is cleaned, crushed, and ready to be processed into new products including glass containers, fiberglass, reflective paints, abrasives, aggregates, and more. At Ripple Glass, we turn your recycled glass into cullet for a number of local manufacturers!
How can I work with Ripple Glass to recycle at my business/organization or in my city?
Check out our Business Opportunities page or shoot us an email at info@rippleglass.com
Can you help me recycle at my event?
Chances are good! We loan out small bins for glass collection with 2-3 weeks minimum notice in the Kansas City region, and we are expanding our event offerings soon to our other regions. For major events, please contact us at least 2 months prior to the event to discuss needs. E-mail us at info@rippleglass.com with the details!
Do you offer tours?
Currently, we do not. The Ripple Glass processing plant is a heavy industrial environment, and we have a very small staff. You might be interested in this video which provides a behind-the-scenes look at how we process glass!
Why are all Ripple bins purple?
We wanted them to be attractive and distinctive, and we couldn’t figure out how to tie-dye ’em.
How can I recycle glass if I don’t live in the Kansas City, Atlanta, or St. Louis regions?
If you live outside of our service area, contact your local recycling officials and ask about glass recycling opportunities! If you’re interested in learning more about glass recycling solutions that Ripple provides, contact us at info@rippleglass.com