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While in Lisbon recently, I noticed that almost every bottle at a minimart I went to was made of glass. My friend told me that glass is used as it is the most recyclable material. The used material bins in Singapore are mainly for paper, plastic and cans, but rarely for glass. In contrast to Europe, where glass recycling rates are an impressive 80 per cent, Singapore’s rate is a mere 8 per cent. This is despite glass being completely and infinitely recyclable without losing quality or purity.   Recycling glass also saves sand, energy, carbon emissions and landfill space. The process of cleaning, sorting by colour and melting the glass for reuse is simple, but Singapore lacks the glass recycling facilities required to work with the material. The challenge in glass recycling comes with its business case. While materials such as recycled cardboard command high prices, glass cullets fetch approximately $10 to $15 for the glass from 1,000 beer bottles. In 2023, Abraclean became the first and only glass recycling facility in Singapore, using the recycled material for abrasive blasting in construction. Despite these efforts, the glass recycling rate here remains low. Glass recycling is feasible in Singapore. Estonia, with less than 60 per cent of Singapore’s glass waste, boasts a glass recycling rate of 80 per cent and continues to invest in technology to repurpose the used glass. Similarly, Luxembourg, with equally low waste volumes, successfully enforced a glass bottle return policy, similar to the one Singapore will implement for plastic bottles in 2025. The business case changes drastically when considering the opportunity cost of operating incineration plants and the precious space on Pulau Semakau, which is expected to be fully filled by 2035. As we celebrate successes in plastic and paper recycling, let’s also explore the potential of glass recycling.