The 8 Best Recycled Drinking Glasses of 2023

Cheers to a more sustainable drinking glass.

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Glass is 100% recyclable, and can be recycled infinitely without degrading. Recycling glass is also more energy efficient and uses fewer resources than creating new glass. While a glass bottle in a landfill can take up to a million years to break down, recycled glass can return to store shelves in as little as 30 days.

By recycling glass and using recycled glass, millions of pounds of waste are prevented from entering landfills. Recycling glass and buying recycled glass products is just common sense. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency estimates only about a third of glass containers in the United States are recycled.

With our round-up of the best recycled drinking glasses as your guide, you can be a part of the efficient and waste-saving cycle that makes glass such a useful and reusable material.

Best Overall

Sobremesa Handblown Colored Rim Recycled Drinking Glasses

Sobremesa Hand-Blown Color Rim Recycled Glasses

Food52

With three different sizes and a matching pitcher, these recycled glasses from Hawkins New York are both stylish and versatile. The glasses have a light aqua tint to them, with slightly wider bases that make for a unique silhouette. Designed by Hawkins, these glasses are handblown in Morocco from recycled glass.

Sold in sets of four, the Moroccan glasses comes in a "mini" 2-ounce size appropriate for liquors and liqueurs; a "short" 6-ounce size for wine; and an 11-12 ounce "tall" size for use as water glasses and for other drinks.

Price at time of publish: $24 for "mini"

Best Splurge

Sobremesa Handblown Colored Rim Recycled Drinking Glasses

Sobremesa Hand-Blown Color Rim Recycled Glasses

Food52

Sold in sets of four, Sobremesa Handblown Colored Rim Drinking Glasses are made from recycled glass by artisan members of COPAVIC, a worker-owned cooperative founded in 1976 in the Guatemalan village of Cantel. The Colored Rim Drinking Glasses come in 8-ounce and 16-ounce sizes, with either cobalt or aqua rims. In addition to the fun color-accent rims, these drinking glasses are also functional, with a nested cylindrical base for stacking. There’s even a matching serving bowl (view at Food52) available, perfect for salads or layered dishes.

Price at time of publish: $48 for tall

Best Budget

Wine Punts Original Recycled Glasses

Wine Punt Original Recycled Glasses

Wine Punt

Simple and straightforward, this set of four 12-ounce recycled glasses are handmade from repurposed wine bottles. Sourced locally from restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in the Colorado Springs area, manufacturer Wine Punts recycles tens of thousands of wine bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills. Each glass is fire polished to eliminate sharp edges and annealed (allowing the glass to cool slowly, minimizing thermal stress) to increase durability.

Price at time of publish: $32

Best for Wine

Green Games Hand Blown Recycled Glass Roli Poli Glasses

Green Games Hand Blown Recycled Glass Roli Poli Glasses

Etsy

These stemless wine glasses will have your guests asking, “Where did you find these wine glasses?” They come in sets of four or six, and are made from hand blown, recycled glass. Described by the seller as “Mad Men vintage,” the Roli Poli Glasses have a pleasing thickness that makes them timelessly stylish, durable, and enjoyable to hold. Plus, the wide, round base means less worries about your glass toppling over with a drink in it. While the perfect size and shape for wine, the Roli Poli Glasses are also great for sipping the liquor of your choice on the rocks. Each glass is individually made, so pieces may vary slightly in size and shape.

Price at time of publish: $40 for short, 12 oz. set of 4

Best for Cocktails

West Elm Recycled Mexican Glassware

Mexican Luster Glassware

Courtesy of West Elm

These recycled cocktail glasses come in two cocktail-standard sizes, suitable for a double old fashioned or highballs. Sold in sets of four or eight, West Elm's Recycled Mexican Glassware cocktail glasses also come in three different finishes, with a luster sheen, non-luster, and amber hue options. Made from recycled glass by artisans in Mexico, in a collaboration with designer Diego Olivero, each piece will vary slightly in dimensions and color.

Price at time of publish: $60 for short, set of four

Best Tall

LSA Handblown Recycled Glassware

LSA Handblown Recycled Glassware

Food52

Developed by London-based design firm LSA and hand blown in Poland, these recycled drinking glasses are perfectly understated. Available in four sizes, with two stout options and two taller designs, the handblown "Tall" glass holds more than 17 ounces, making it the ideal size for a tall drink of water. In addition to the slight green tint attributed to the recycled glass, the main design feature of note is a domed base, inspired by the shape of the artificial rainforest biome of the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. The LSA Handblown Recycled Glassware is sold in sets of four.

Best Green

August Sage Xela Emerald Glass Set

August Sage Xela Emerald Glass Set

August Sage

Made from recycled glass by glassmakers in Cantel, Guatemala (work from their COPAVIC cooperative is also highlighted elsewhere on this list), these drinking glasses from August Sage have a base with a striking emerald green hue. At 4 inches high and 3 inches wide, these Xela Emerald glasses have a substantial feel, suitable for larger ice cubes.

Because they are hand blown and individually-made, each of the two glasses in the Xela Emerald Glass Set will feature slight imperfections and variations. The glasses are top-rack dishwasher safe, but hand washing is recommended.

Best Set

Muirwood Recycled Moroccan Handblown Cone Glass Set

Muirwood Recycled Moroccan Handblown Cone Glass Set

Muirwood

Most glassware comes in sets of four, so this set of six recycled glasses are a great pick if you're looking to hydrate a crowd. These drinking glasses are cone-shaped, with a wider base and a design aesthetic that could double as miniature table-setting vases. Also available in an 8-ounce size, the larger 12-ounce glasses still have wide enough necks to accommodate large ice cubes. Hand blown in Morocco from recycled beer and wine bottles, each glass has minor imperfections — including bubbles — which make them unique pieces, even within their uniform set. The Muirwood Recycled Moroccan Handblown Cone Glass Set comes in your choice of clear, amber, blue, or green.

Final Verdict

The Hawkins New York Handblown Moroccan Glassware (view at Food52) set is our top pick, both for the multiple size options and the available matching pitcher. Their slight curvature and blue tint strikes the right balance between design and simplicity. The Wine Punts Original Recycled Glass (view at Amazon) is a great budget option, with a creative and eco-friendly manufacturing approach that reuses wine bottles that would otherwise wind up in landfills.

What to Look for in Recycled Drinking Glasses

Artisan craftsmanship

Glassware made by glassblowing artisans won't be shy about their provenance, so look for the country of origin and straightforward manufacturing details on the product page.

Imperfections

Handblown glass simply isn't as uniform as machine-made glasses, but those subtle differences between each drinking glass adds character, imbuing them with soft curves and warmth. If a product page warns of slight imperfections and variations in dimensions, it's a safe bet your new drinking glass is the product of individual attention and craftsmanship.

Fair Trade Policies

Retailers are generally proud about partnering with fair trade artisans, so will often advertise whether its glassmakers labor under fair working conditions. Look for glassware that is Fair Trade certified or made by worker-owned cooperatives.

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Treehugger is committed to helping our readers reduce the environmental impact of their day-to-day lives. Author Amanda Ogle is a veteran reporter who loves writing about sustainability and believes it is important that we all strive to be as environmentally friendly as we can. She enjoys giving readers an honest idea of where to buy sustainable products online that make a difference in our environment.

View Article Sources
  1. Glass Recycling Facts.” Glass Recycling Facts - Glass Packaging Institute, Glass Packaging Institute.

  2. Glass: Material-Specific Data.EPA, Environmental Protection Agency.