Vent: Recycled glass keeps failing on my projects, but everyone acts like it's the future

I know everyone in the trade is big on using recycled glass for the green angle, but I have to say I think it's a bad move for most jobs. I tried it on three separate storefront installs last year, and each time we had issues with consistency in the panes. One batch had tiny bubbles that weakened the glass, and another job saw premature fogging between the lites. My clients paid for durability, and I had to eat the cost on two callbacks to replace units. Sure, it helps the planet, but if the product doesn't hold up, it just makes more waste in the long run. I'm not against being green, but we need better quality control before we push this stuff so hard. From now on, I'm sticking with virgin glass for anything that needs to last, and I'll find other ways to cut waste in the shop.

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_rivera1mo ago

Where's the quality control on that recycled glass? If it's failing that often, is it really worth the green hype? You'd think they'd test it better before selling it for storefronts.

lucas_bell1mo agoMost Upvoted

Is this just another case where being green means putting up with worse quality?

butler.ivan1mo ago

But honestly, is it failing that much everywhere? Regular glass has issues too, so it's not just a recycled thing. Sure, they might miss some tests, but that happens with new materials. The green part actually cuts waste, which seems worth a few problems. We only hear about the breaks, not all the stores where it's fine. It's probably not as serious as we're making it out...