Alicante installs first transparent glass recycling container in the Valencian Community

Alicante has unveiled the Valencian Community’s first transparent glass recycling container in a new campaign aimed at boosting recycling rates and dispelling common misconceptions about what happens to glass after it is collected. The initiative hopes to encourage more residents to recycle by making the process more visible and easier to understand.

Transparent recycling container launched in Alicante

Alicante has installed the first transparent glass recycling container in the Valencian Community in a campaign to encourage more people to recycle and tackle common myths about what happens to glass after it is collected.

The new container has a clear side panel so people can see that it contains only glass bottles and jars. The aim is to show that glass is collected separately and can be recycled again and again without losing quality.

The campaign follows a survey showing that many people still have doubts about recycling. More than a third of those questioned wrongly believe all rubbish is mixed together in collection lorries, while others think recycled products are lower quality or that recycling causes more pollution than making new products.

In Alicante, around one in 10 people still do not recycle or believe recycling is worthwhile, while more than 40 per cent could not correctly identify the right bin for at least five different types of waste.

Raising awareness about glass recycling

During 2025, Alicante residents recycled 6,681 tonnes of glass, equal to 18.2 kilograms per person, or about 62 glass containers each, using the city’s 1,645 green recycling bins. According to Ecovidrio, this also helped cut CO2 emissions and reduce energy use.

The new container is intended to increase public confidence in the recycling process by showing exactly how glass is collected and separated from other waste. Organisers hope the campaign will encourage more people to recycle regularly, helping Alicante improve its environmental performance while reducing waste sent to landfill.