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How to Dispose of Broken Glass Responsibly
Stay sharp for safety’s sake when disposing of broken glass
Get quotes from garbage collectors near you
No obligation · 100% free
Get quotes from garbage collectors near you
No obligation · 100% free
SKILL LEVEL
Easy
COMPLETION TIME
15 minutes
COST
$0
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
- Work gloves
- Eye protection
- Thick-soled closed-toe shoes
- Broom and dustpan
- Vacuum cleaner
SUPPLIES
- Damp paper towels
- Cardboard or stiff paper
- Old towel or cloth
- Packing tape
- Sturdy trash bag
If you’ve just watched a glass slip out of your hands and crash to the floor, you’ve got a clean-up emergency on your hands. Broken glass is dangerous to handle and tricky to dispose of—you have to do it carefully to avoid injuries.
Learn how to clean up and dispose of broken glass without risking cuts or other mishaps.
Why Dispose of Broken Glass Properly?
If you throw broken glass pieces in the trash without proper precautions, you risk splitting the trash bag open, cutting yourself on sharp shards, and injuring waste collection workers. Following a few straightforward steps to protect yourself and others will ensure you dispose of broken glass safely.
Prepping to Dispose of Broken Glass
Before you get started, protect yourself from cuts and other risks that broken glass poses. Wear thick work gloves, eye protection, and closed-toe shoes with a thick sole. These precautions may seem like overkill, but even tiny shards of glass can cut you. It’s always best to avoid a trip to the emergency room for stitches.
Before you touch any glass, prepare a container to put the broken glass in. Line an empty cardboard box that’s big enough to hold all the broken glass, plus an old towel or cloth with a sturdy trash bag. This will help prevent shards from falling out of the box’s seams or poking through the cardboard.
Collect Large Pieces
Working carefully, collect all the pieces of glass you can immediately see. The safest way to avoid cuts is to use a broom and dustpan to collect the glass—just remember to thoroughly and safely clean them when you’re done to ensure no glass remains in the bristles. If you don’t have a dustpan, a piece of cardboard or thick paper will do the trick.
Place Large Pieces on a Towel
Place an old towel or other cloth on the floor and empty the dustpan onto the cloth. This will act as another layer of protection to prevent injury or loose glass during the disposal process.
Find and Pick Up Smaller Shards
Shattered glass can travel farther than you might think, so you’ll need to inspect the entire area—even into other rooms—for any shards that you might have missed. Shine a flashlight at floor level—the light will reflect off of any remaining glass. Remember to check underneath and behind furniture and fixtures. Use your broom and dustpan to collect errant glass shards and empty the dustpan onto the towel or cloth.
Place Broken Glass in a Box
Once all the visible glass is picked up, wrap the towel or cloth securely around the glass. For extra security, use packing tape to keep the towel from falling open. Place the towel inside your prepared box.
Seal and Label the Box
Close the box and seal it securely with packing tape. Use a thick marker to write “Caution: Broken Glass” on the top and each of the sides. This will alert sanitation workers so they can exercise precautions if they handle the box.
Clean Up Fine Particles
Even after every shard of glass is picked up, fine dust-like particles of glass can remain. Run damp paper towels or an old damp cloth you don’t mind throwing out over the entire area to pick up these particles, and throw the paper towels or cloth away when you’re done. Don’t reuse anything you’ve used to pick up glass particles—tiny pieces of glass can remain in the cloth’s fibers even after washing. Vacuum the area thoroughly after the floor is dry.
Dispose of the Box
Broken glass that’s wrapped in cloth can’t be recycled, so you’ll need to put the box out for regular trash collection. In most cases, you can put the box in your trash bin, but check with your local garbage removal service to find out if they have a special procedure for disposing of broken glass.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro for Broken Glass Disposal
Cleaning up and disposing of broken household glass can be stressful and tedious, but it’s not often a job for the pros. However, if you have a large amount of broken glass, like large broken windows or doors or glass embedded in upholstered furniture, floors, or walls, a disaster or emergency cleaning service may be able to help.
If you have other items to dispose of in addition to broken glass, you can hire a junk removal service to haul away unwanted and broken items. Junk removal costs depend on the size of the load, but expect to pay an average of $250.
Frequently Asked Questions
Garbage collection services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
4.3★ avg. • 6 total reviews
- Kale T.
Amazing job. Efficient and quick without compromising quality. Basement feels brand new. Would use them again in a heartbeat.
AffordaPro Restoration - Doug C.
Best cleaning I've had at my property
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Scam. DO NOT use this company. We had a move where a Black Tie employee left the job site early (unknown to us until after the fact) and stole $40,000 worth of a private collection we had in a box that he watch use box up. On top of this we had several items missing and damaged where we had...
- Michael T.
Fantastic group, very communicative, and they really did a great job cleaning my condo. Will be hiring them for recurring cleaning!
eMaids of Northern Columbus - Bobby G.
This company went above and beyond with their work, chimney sweeps are usually pretty messy, but the clean up was spot on.!! Josh explained every thing that he was doing, and the things that he was checking to make sure the chimney was safe for me and my family. He was very professional,...
Supreme brick & chimney - Rachel J.
I definitely recommend Ramonaâ s cleaning service! I have booked services with her many times and she arrives on time, ready to work and provides a great service.
Your Cleaning Solutions LLC - Tamara M.
Amazing! I’ve had plenty of services over the years and Mary Cleaning has gone beyond what I thought was possible. ❤️ them!
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It was just fine. They did a good job. They cleaned what needed to be cleaned.
Dezired Cleaners LLC - Suzanne H.
They cleaned my very dirty basement. They were prompts, quick, thorough and their price was fair.
JDE House Cleaning LLC - Andrew G.
The company was very easy to work with. My family is now able to enjoy a space that at one point, only collected junk!!!! I feel like i have a whole new addition to the house!!! Wonderful work Blurock on our basement, will recommend!
BluRock Services, Inc.
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