Glass recycling is coming to every household
From 30 March 2026, you will be able to put glass bottles and jars in your recycling bin or sacks at home. Glass box collections will also stop after this date. You should instead place glass bottles and jars in your mixed dry recycling bin or recycling sacks.
Some households will have a change to their collection day. If this affects you, we will write to you before the changes begin. We will also update the bin collection calendar from early March 2026.
This page explains how to recycle glass bottles and jars and what will change from March 2026.
Find information about:
- what glass you can recycle
- what glass you cannot recycle
- how to recycle glass from March 2026
- how you will be told about the changes
- if you currently use a glass box collection
- what happens to bottle banks
- what to do with extra glass
- areas with glass box collections now
- order a glass collection box
What glass you can recycle
You can recycle empty glass bottles and jars of all colours and sizes, including:
- wine and beer bottles
- food bottles and jars such as sauce and jam jars
- coffee jars
- pharmaceutical bottles
Rinse bottles and jars if needed. You can leave lids and tops on as we separate them during recycling.
What glass you cannot recycle
- drinking glasses
- Pyrex or heat-resistant glass
- window or pane glass
- mirrors
- ceramics or crockery
- broken glass
- light bulbs and thermometers
- spectacles
- nail varnish bottles
These items are made differently from glass bottles and jars and cannot be recycled in household collections.
Take these items to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
How to recycle glass from March 2026
From 30 March 2026, put empty and clean glass bottles and jars in your mixed dry recycling bin or orange recycling sacks.
Some residents will have a change to their bin collection day. If this affects you, we will write to you before the changes begin.
How you will be told about the changes
We will contact residents and share updates before collections change:
- letters will be sent to households with collection day changes
- any changes to collection days will be reflected on the bin collection calendar on our website from 3 March 2026
- information leaflets will be delivered with Council Tax letters
- information stickers will be placed on recycling bins
- updates will be shared online, on social media and by email
If you currently use a glass box collection
Some households currently receive glass collections using a separate box.
From March 2026, glass box collections will stop. You should instead place glass bottles and jars in your dry recycling bin or recycling sacks.
We will no longer collect glass placed in separate glass boxes after the new service begins. You can keep your box for storage or reuse at home.
What happens to bottle banks
Bottle banks across the area will be removed as glass recycling becomes available at home.
Glass recycling will still be available at Household Waste Recycling Centres.
What to do with extra glass
If your recycling bin is full, you can take extra glass bottles and jars to a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Areas with glass box collections now
Some areas currently receive glass bottle and jar collections using a separate box every two weeks.
Glass box collections currently operate in:
- Aley Green
- Barton-le-Clay
- Billington
- Bushmead (Luton)
- Butterfield Green
- Chalgrave
- Chalton
- Eaton Bray
- Eggington
- Heath & Reach
- Hockliffe
- Kensworth
- Pepperstock
- Sharpenhoe
- Slip End
- Stanbridge
- Streatley
- Studham
- Sundon
- Tebworth
- Tilsworth
- Toddington
- Totternhoe
- Whipsnade
- Wingfield
- Woodside
Caddington has Thursday glass and Friday refuse collections.
East Hyde has Monday glass and Tuesday refuse collections.