Glass tabletops used in the home or as patio furniture add a stylish touch. Glass table tops are available as annealed and tempered. Tempered glass has undergone a more intensive treatment process than annealed glass.
Annealed glass is found in mirrors and decorative pieces as it can be cut, formed, and recycled. Also, when annealed glass breaks, it shatters into large, pointed shards.
Tempered glass goes through another process to improve durability and safety. This process makes the product more durable, yet it can prevent it from being cut or shaped. As tempered glass breaks, it can potentially shatter into many small pieces.
Manufacturers use this type of glass in doors, windows, and other large pieces since it is far safer than dealing with large shards of broken annealed glass. It can be a daunting exercise if you need to replace your glass tabletop.
However, in our guide, you can learn more about what can I do with an old glass table top. By the end, you’ll see options to repurpose glass table top, and also how you go about tempered glass recycling, or safely dispose of the old glass top safely. (Learn How To Dispose of Hair Dye)
How to Dispose of Glass Table Tops
When it comes to recycle glass, it’s essential to understand that certain glass items can be accepted, while a curbside recycling program does not accept others.
Old items such as glass bottles, jars, and food containers can easily be recycled; however, large glass items such as used glass table tops, window glass, and mirrors may not be accepted.
You can find it isn’t possible to recycle glass table tops as in production; chemicals are added to the glass to improve durability. Because of this, an old table top has a higher melting point than regular container glass.
This implies not all recycling centers will accept them, so double-check with the office before dropping them off.
It is possible to dispose of a glass table top on your own, yet you need to go about it in a certain way.
Disposing of Whole Glass
1. Recycle the glass:
Finally, whether or not you can recycle your specific piece of glass is determined by where you live. Many recycling plants may not take mirrors, window glass, and other large pieces of glass because of their different chemical composition from that of standard bottle glass.
Because the trucks that operate recycling routes aren’t typically prepared for nonstandard items, this process will likely require taking the glass down to a recycling center to dispose of your glass tables properly.
2. Contact your waste management company:
If you must ditch your glass, start your local waste management agency. Companies handle the different-sized waste. Your waste management company may break up large pieces of glass. You can likely find weight and dimension restrictions on the company’s website or by phoning.
Here’s how to pack large glass sheets for disposal.
Cover the surface with duct tape: If your glass is small enough to throw whole, prepare it for disposal first. You want to make sure the glass doesn’t break and become a hazard for waste management workers.
Duct taping both sides of your tables or windows means it is safe, even if it breaks.
Wrap the glass: Wrap the glass in bubble wrap or an old blanket and tape it shut. Even if some of the tables glass breaks free from the tape, the wrapping will hold it in place.
Label the exterior: After wrapping the glass, label it, so anyone who handles it knows to be careful. “Glass for disposal” works.
Put the glass by the bin, and ensure the labeling is visible.
Can I Recycle a Glass Table Top?
Glass recycling is a great service to get rid of a glass tabletop. When glass is recycled, it is melted and reused in many ways.
Recycled glass materials emit fewer greenhouse emissions than other materials, making them a mainly environmentally responsible choice.
Only some types of glass, however, can be recycled. Recyclable glass is combined with other materials to make a new material that can be blown and molded into new glass items.
Glass cullet is mixed glass that they can recycle. Mirrors, lightbulbs, windshields, and drinking glasses are examples of things that obstruct recyclable glass cullet.
It may be possible to recycle glass table tops, although you need to know the type of glass first. Good communication with your waste management company can help, although sanitation workers may not do any recycling pickup or have a glass collection program for glass sheets of that size. (Learn How To Dispose Of Turpentine)
Repurposing a Glass Table Top
If you can’t recycle your glass tabletop, repurpose it! The easiest way to repurpose a glass tabletop is to donate it to a charity that sells used furniture for an affordable price.
Another way to repurpose a glass table top is to make something new. This is a superb choice if part of the table is damaged and can’t be recycled.
Many suggestions for reusing glass tabletops exist online. Other people have used a glass table top to make an inside greenhouse.
Tempered glass prohibits many arts and crafts with glass tabletop.
Tempered glass won’t hold up to glass cutting and will break. So, use it cautiously, so the glass tabletop stays intact.
Disposing of Table Safely
If you cover and label a non-recyclable glass tabletop, you can put it in the trash bin or container.
Depending on its size, you can put it inside a cardboard box or cover it in tape or wrapping paper. Put a label on the object that states it’s made of glass.
It would be best to never throw glass table tops into a regular trash can; however, some people drop them in the trash and then drop a rock on it, causing the table glass to shatter.
The recycling center becomes inefficient when large, non-recyclable pieces of table glass are included in regular recycling.
In order to make recycled glass goods that work correctly, they’ll have to sift out the non-recyclable glass.
Disposing of Broken Glass
Carefully break the glass. If you have a whole piece of glass that is larger than the dimensions that your waste management company can handle, you’ll need to break it down into smaller, tiny pieces that are readily disposable.
- Before breaking the table glass with a hammer or shovel, lay it flat on the ground and cover it with an old blanket or several old towels to keep the shards in place.
- If you can also put a blanket beneath the glass that you don’t mind tossing away, you’ll have a simpler time cleaning up and fewer tiny shards to worry about.
- If you have a smaller piece, then it is possible to properly dispose of it by putting the glass in a rubbish bin and breaking it there. Do this using something heavy you can drop on it to cause it to shatter.
- Always wear gloves and goggles or other eye protection when smashing glass.
- Take the necessary measures. When handling broken glass, whether you dropped a bottle or had to throw a large pane of glass yourself, always put on work gloves and thick-soled shoes.
- Children and pets should also be kept out of the area until you complete the cleaning.
- Place a large trash bag with the larger pieces. It would help if you began by gathering the larger pieces of glass and placing them in a large trash bag.
- In addition to utilizing thick trash bags, you should place a second trash bag inside the first before beginning to fill it with broken glass.
- It’s far easier to double-bag the cleanup job before you start than trying to squeeze a jagged trash bag into a second one later.
- Vacuum the area using a shop vacuum’s hose attachment once you’ve gathered the larger pieces to the best of your ability.
- Because broken glass can fly rather far, use the hose attachment on a shop vac to get the entire area up to about fifteen feet away.
- Many people are inclined to sweep up the glass with a broom rather than a vacuum, but glass shards can quickly become trapped in the bristles of your broom, only to be redistributed later. A vacuum cleaner is a safer option.
- Even a vacuum cleaner might miss some of the tiniest pieces that can cut or irritate skin. Instead, get a piece of soft bread from the kitchen and smear it face down on the area to trap the remaining glass dust for a quick and cost-effective solution.
- Though bread is the most likely item you currently have on hand, other household items can also be used in this situation. For example, a half potato, packaging or duct tape, or a lint roller will also work.
- Make sure you don’t touch the area of the item that has the glass glued to it by accident.
- Using a damp paper towel, wipe clean the area. Wipe the area down thoroughly with a damp paper towel to conclude the task.
- Also, wipe down the soles of your shoes to remove any glass dust that may have accumulated throughout the cleaning process.
- In a cardboard box, place the trash bag. Some companies may also require that broken glass be disposed of in a solid container.
- If your waste management company does not accept glass-filled garbage bags, you should place them in a cardboard box, seal them, and label them broken glass.
- Put the container in the trash along with the rest of your garbage. You’ve correctly contained and labeled the broken glass at this point, and you can just put it away in your regular garbage or community dumpster.
Conclusion
High-quality glass tabletops are a popular choice for patio furniture.
They’re simple to clean and long-lasting, yet removing a glass table top is more complicated than removing other types of furniture.
To understand how to dispose of a glass tabletop, contact your local recycling center or landfill and see if they accept them. (Learn How To Dispose Of Used Acetone)
They’ll inform you if your glass table can go through recycling and if it’s made of non-recyclable materials.
Consider reusing your glass tabletop if it isn’t recyclable, or donate the glass tabletop to a local thrift store.
