Jars Put in Recycling Cart Recycle Only Your Empties Dump or rinse out any leftover food or drink before recycling empty glass jars. Sticky food or liquid residue can contaminate a batch of recycling. Wrap Up Broken Glass Broken glass can physically injure sanitation workers. Wrap up the broken glass before disposing of it. Learn how to properly dispose of broken glass. Recycle Jar Lids Separately Separate jar lids from glass jars when you recycle them. Recycle them separately because they are made from different materials. Ways to Reuse Organize Your Home Try organizing your house by using old glass jars and bottles. Lidded glassware can hold anything — hardware, office supplies, arts and craft supplies, seeds, spices or other dry goods. See this list for more ideas. Turn Jars Into Gifts Use jars you have on hand to create little homemade gifts. They can be used to hold baking mixes, spice mixes, trail mix, hot cocoa mix, loose leaf tea, candles, oil or LED lamps, plants and more. Did You Know? Glass Is Infinitely Recyclable Glass is one of the most recyclable items on the planet. It can be broken down and upcycled infinitely without losing strength, purity or quality. The glass containers used to hold food and beverages in particular are usually 100% recyclable. Recovered glass is recycled into other glass containers, fiberglass insulation, and decorative glass such as terrazzo tiles and landscaping (xeriscaping).