On February 10, 2025, the Copper Country Recycling Initiative announced that glass is no longer accepted in single stream recycling anywhere in Houghton or Keweenaw Counties. The Marquette sorting facility that processes the recycling has been landfilling the glass they’ve received and does not have any options for it to be processed and recycled. After lengthy debates, the Copper Country Recycling Initiative and local officials agreed that glass should no longer be included in our single stream recycling in the counties.

So what should you do with your glass? 

1. Be sure any glass with a deposit on it is being redeemed. Glass containers redeemed for deposit are collected separately and shipped to a recycling facility. 

2. If you are headed to Marquette, separated glass can be dropped off free of charge at Recycle 906 (Visit recycle906.com or call 906-249-4125 for hours and address), where the glass is crushed, sold, and used for landscaping uses similar to sand/gravel.

3. Put your glass in the trash. While this is less than ideal, glass is an inert material that will not break down and create methane gas as compostable products do when landfilled.

There are plenty of ways you can still reduce your waste and environmental footprint. If you want to make the most impact make sure you are continuing to recycle all your other materials which have strong markets and are being recycled into new products, be aware of packaging on purchased items, start a backyard compost and encourage local officials to support improvements to the local recycling system.

For more information, please consult the links below from the Copper Country Recycling Initiative:

• • Copper Country Recycling Initiative

  • Copper Country Recycling Guidelines

  • Copper Country Recycling: Who recycles what (other local recycling resources)

  • Copper Country Recycling: Sharps and medication disposal