Glass recycling

Recycling in Ballarat changed in 2019 and our recycling company is unable to take glass to recycle. To keep recycling glass, we have a local contractor who can recycle glass for us. To recycle your glass, you will need to keep glass out of the yellow-lidded kerbside recycling bins and take your glass recycling to a Pass on Glass site in Ballarat. Please remove the lids and, if possible, labels off all glass bottles and jars before taking them to a Pass on Glass site.

Image of glass bottles waiting to be recycled

Changes to Kerbside Bin Collections are coming

Ballarat is getting a new system for kerbside bin collection.

Find out more here

Where are the Pass on Glass sites?

It is FREE to take your glass to any of the Pass on Glass drop-off sites, located at:

  • Ballarat Transfer Station, 119 Gillies Street South, Alfredton (no waste voucher needed). 
  • Coltman Plaza Shopping Centre car park 
  • Eastwood Street Shopping Centre carpark (south west corner) near the Ballarat Police Station
  • Bradbys Lane, Bakery Hill
  • Midvale Shopping Centre, 2/1174 Geelong Road, Mount Clear  
  • Buninyong Recreation Reserve, Buninyong (please be aware of restricted  access during Buninyong Football and Netball Home Games)
  • Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club, Rubicon Street entrance near bus exchange
  • Miners Rest General Store, Miners Rest
  • Stockland Wendouree near MyCar service centre

Map of Pass on Glass sites

Where does my glass go?

About half of your Pass on Glass material is broken down into fragments (called glass cullet), washed, and sorted by colour at a specialised facility in Melbourne before being processed to make more glass bottles and jars.

The other half is kept locally to be crushed to glass fines (sands) or aggregate mix, and used for local trials in road and concrete construction projects. 

Rinsing and removing lids helps minimise processing costs by allowing more uses and reducing wastage. 

 

What happens to your glass infographic: 1) Empty glass food and drink containers; 2) Rinse and remove the lids, placing the lids in your recycle bin; 3) Take your glass to a Pass on Glass site; 4) Your glass is taken to either a Ballarat or Melbourne facility to be processed for recycling.

More information about the recycling change