Glass recycling in Ukraine
Glass packaging that is not reused directly – such as many beverage bottles in return systems in other countries – should always be placed in a collection container and not in the general waste. This is because, in terms of volume, recycled glass packaging is the most important resource for the manufacture of new glass products. In Ukraine, however, glass recycling currently operates under difficult conditions – which is not surprising for a country that has been at war for years.
Ukraine is facing major challenges in waste management due to the war, economic difficulties, and lack of infrastructure. A special “Zero Waste Cities” project in four Ukrainian cities (Lutsk, Kherson, Pokrovsk, Derhachi) promotes sustainable and effective waste management solutions based on European best practices, including recycling.
There are no official recent figures on the recycling rate for glass in Ukraine. What is known, however, is that the overall recycling rate for all waste currently stands at less than 7 percent of total volume – mainly due to infrastructure challenges and the ongoing war. Recycling initiatives in Ukrainian cities, especially those led by civil society groups, demonstrate strong grassroots efforts to tackle the waste issue by collecting, sorting, and making materials suitable for recycling.
Throughout Ukraine, glass collection containers for flint and coloured glass respectively are available in many cities. There are also collection points that offer small refunds for returned glass packaging. Only a few recycling companies in Ukraine are currently involved in the collection and processing of glass packaging. The impact of the war has heavily affected the glass industry: for instance, Vetropack’s site in Hostomel suffered severe damage, which has further strained regional glass production and recycling systems. It was only in June 2025 that the second furnace at the Hostomel plant could be restored and brought back into operation.
Glass recycling at Vetropack
At its Hostomel plant, Vetropack operates a cullet processing facility. The sorting and cleaning processes include drying, manual sorting, screening, crushing, removal of magnetic and non-magnetic metals, optical sorting, and a final manual inspection. Most of the cullet is delivered by truck. Before the war, deliveries were also made by rail, and the railway connection remains in place.
Vetropack is constantly working towards increasing the proportion of recycled material used in glass production. Currently, the share of recycled material purchased for use in production in Hostomel is around 30 percent for flint glass. Before the war, the plant also processed collected coloured glass for producing green glass (60 percent) and brown glass (50 percent). This contingent is further supplemented with Vetropack’s own 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 material 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 (drinking glasses, ovenware, vases), heat-resistant preserving jars, 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.
Among others, the two smartphone apps Sortui and Recycle Map offer interactive maps with information on recycling stations – including those for glass. In many Ukrainian cities, local authorities or organisations already operate networks of collection points.
Glass packaging does not need to be rinsed out before disposal, but it must be empty. Glass should always be sorted by colour – in particular, flint glass must be collected separately to ensure purity. Bottle and container caps should be removed and disposed of separately. Glass packaging should also be placed gently in the container so that it does not shatter too much. The smaller the shards, the more difficult it is for the processing plants to remove foreign matter. And of course, the surrounding residents will thank you – glass should also preferably be disposed of during the day and on workdays and not at night.
Further information
Additional information on glass recycling in Ukraine is available at