Mound, Minnesota - Glass has been around for centuries, and the stuff in your windows and bottles could basically be recycled infinitely without getting weaker. But the US has a mediocre glass recycling infrastructure, with plenty of room to improve.

The US lags behind other countries when it comes to recycling, turning only about 40% of used glass products in 2018 into new ones. There was a solid trend of reusing more glass since the 60s, but the past 10 years haven't really improved the rate of new glass coming from recycled products.

That's a bummer for a couple of reasons, because the pros of upgrading glass recycling include less waste in overflowing landfills, reducing emissions from making new glass, less plastic use in favor of glass containers, and a focus on longer-lived glass products – all crucial steps in the fight against climate change.

Plus, the kind of glass that's in your average jam jar could literally be reused forever, according to the founder and director of Recycle Across America, Mitch Hedlund.

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We're not already doing more mainly because over 80% of communities in the US put all their glass into one bin, when really, there are different types of glass that would be easier to work with if they were separated for pick-up day. For example, windows and drinking glasses are not made of the same stuff, so the two don't belong in the same container.

That's why Hedlund says the other challenge to improving glass recycling in the US is making it easier for people to get their glass products to the right place.

Glass can be recycled over and over again, so if the US changes how it regulates the glass lifecycle, and focuses more on recycling, it would be yet another step towards a greener climate.