If you have a few panes of glass that you need to dispose of, you may be wondering where to put them? After all, glass bottles and jars are endlessly recyclable, but what about window glass?
Today, we’re looking at how to dispose of window glass, including double glazing. We will also look at ways to reuse the glass and the properties of modern 100% recycled vacuum FINEO double glazing.
Old heritage glass panes can be reused as they are unique and were made by craftsmen hundreds of years ago. Window restoration companies can reuse old glass when replacing cracked glass panes during restoration. We always have some old glass panes in our storage as the best glass replacement is the one that will match the original glass that is being replaced.
So if you have replaced some of the old timber windows in your home instead of renovating them, it is a good idea to go the extra mile and try to recycle them as much as possible, at least some parts of the window like the glass.
Surprisingly, you can sell your heritage glass panes on marketplaces like eBay or Gumtree.
Here are a few screenshots from an eBay auction where old glass and old timber window parts are being auctioned:
Bullseye windows pane or crown glass
Vintage stained glass window panel
Victorian stained glass
Old Edwardian 6 pannel wooden sash
You can put glass in your general waste bin at home, but this is a waste of good quality material that can be used for thousands of things. More than 28 billion pieces of glass end up in landfills annually in the UK. Don’t let your window panes end up there as well!
The best thing to do with your old glass panes is taken them to your nearest recycling centre. Most recycling centres have a space for glass window panes; if they don’t, they will have a mixed glass skip that can go in. If you aren’t sure where your glass window panes can go when you get to the recycling centre, just ask a member of staff who can point you in the correct direction.
While you are there, you can also take the old wooden window frames with you and recycle those. Older windows are made from fantastic quality wood, and as long as the wood isn’t too rotted, it can be used to create loads of different things. If you have uPVC or aluminium windows that you are removing, you may still be able to recycle these too. Just check with your local recycling centre or local council.
When upgrading traditional sash windows from single glazing to vacuum double glazing, we use FINEO glass.
This glass is 100% recycled, which means it can be reused at some point. Vacuum-sealed double glazing is also more environmentally friendly as it does not have any gasses than regular double glazing units.
Fineo glass can be used repeatedly, but the vacuum-sealed technology is so good that it will likely stay in your home for decades. Still, the glass you have in your windows (if you choose FINEO glass) is environmentally friendly, lead-free and endlessly recyclable once it has reached the end of its life as a window.
We use FINEO glass in all of our window upgrade projects because it is environmentally friendly, recyclable and has fantastic properties of thin double glazing while slightly thinker than single glazing. It lets us install ultra-thin double glazing with excellent heat retention (as good as triple glazing).
Explore our website further to learn about Chameleon Window Restoration services and double glazing retrofitting.
We can install FINEO glass into any window or door and restore all of the window’s wood.
Get in touch if you have some old glass that you no longer need. Chameleon will happily take your glass and install it into another period home nearby.
