Glass recycling in Slovakia 

Glass packaging that is not intended for reuse should always be disposed of in the glass container, not in general waste. This is because, in terms of volume, recycled glass packaging is the most important resource for the manufacture of new glass products. Accordingly, the collection and recycling of glass has a decades-long tradition in Slovakia, with the first initiatives dating back to the 1960s. 

Slovakia has had a high collection rate for glass packaging for many years. According to Eurostat, it stood at 82 percent in 2021, amounting to around 80,000 tonnes of glass. Glass collection in the usual containers commonly used throughout Europe has been established for years. 

Glass recycling at Vetropack

Vetropack occupies a unique position in Slovakia, as the company operates the country's only glass recycling plant. In Slovakia, colour-separated glass containers have been abolished, which means that the collected glass for recycling is initially mixed. This makes sorting more difficult, which is why Vetropack redesigned its recycling line at its Nemšová plant in 2022. This has increased capacity by 50 percent to around 140,000 tonnes of glass for recycling per year. 

The optimised line allows for more efficient sorting and optimised processes, particularly when separating flint glass from mixed cullet. The glass is subjected to dry processing, i.e., paper labels are removed through mechanical separation and any unwanted components are eliminated using optical sorting methods. Additional sorting units separate any remaining glass ceramics and lead glass. This results in clearly separated recycling glass, which is crushed and granulated and then used as resource for the production of new glass. 

Vetropack is constantly working towards increasing the proportion of recycled material used in glass production. In 2023, the share of collected recycling glass purchased to use in production in Nemšová was between 50-70 percent for flint and blue glass and, depending on availability, over 85 percent for green glass. This contingent is further supplemented with Vetropack’s own glass cullet before being used to produce new glass containers. As part of its strategy 2030, Vetropack continuously strives to reduce its own ecological footprint, improve the proportion of recycled glass along the entire value chain for both single-use and reusable containers, and improve access to core resources (mainly cullet). 

FAQ's

Bottles (wine and juice bottles, bottles for vinegar, oil, etc.), food jars (jars for jam, pickles, pesto, etc.), perfume bottles and deodorant rollers, medicine bottles, disposable glass spice mills and glass bottle caps belong in the glass container. Returnable bottles, however, should be taken back to the beverage retailer so they can be reused immediately. 

Glass products other than packaging are best disposed of in the general waste or at a recycling centre. These include flat glass (window glass, windscreen glass), glass tableware (, ovenware, vases), , candle holders, light bulbs (incandescent bulbs, neon tubes), screens, mirrors, and borosilicate glass (laboratory glassware, vaccine vials). Stoneware, porcelain, and ceramics are not glass and should not be placed in the collection container. 

Local authorities or regional waste disposal companies provide information on the locations of collection points. There are also central recycling centres where glass can be dropped off. 

Glass packaging does not need to be rinsed out before disposal, but it must be empty. Bottle and container caps should be removed and disposed of separately.

Further information

Additional information on glass recycling in Slovakia is available at