Hi,
It seems silly, but I couldn't get a clear answer.
Swiss recycling site says that blue, red glass etc. belongs in the green glass container.
My common sense says that black glass should be thrown to the brown glass container.

Any ideas?

I’d throw it all in the green....

I've thrown my baileys bottles in the brown bin. I always thought that they're not really black, just a far denser amount of colouring. Could be completely wrong though.

Reminded of Father Ted.

Father Dougal: Anyway, what else did you order?
Father Ted: Priest's socks, really black ones.
Father Dougal: I read an article about priest's socks, that priest's socks are blacker than any other socks.
Father Ted: That's right. Sometimes you see lay people wearing apparently black socks, but if you look closely, they are really very, very, very very dark blue.
Father Dougal: That's true. I thought my Uncle Tommy was wearing black socks but when i look at them closely, they were just very, very, very, very, very, very dark blue.
Father Ted: Never buy black socks in a normal shop. They will shaft you everytime.

We don't separate glass by color here, so find a place that doesn't.

Tom

You could have given him your address!

No need, it's the same in the whole of Ticino.

Tom

All of the glass gets mixed when they collect it from the collection points anyway so pick a slot and drop it in.

Yep, you've figured out the bottle type alright

I vaguely remember if the non-green is contaminated by other colours, it all goes towards green. I also vaguely remember it doesn't get separated in the end anyway.

Anyone know what happens if you leave the corks or the screw tops in?

They drink the wine before they recycle the bottle.

Around here the green bin also specifically includes blue and undefined - so put it in the green.

Nonsense.

Definitely with the green glass. Read just the other day that other colours matter less there because the total quantity of green glass is much bigger than that of brown.

they crush everything into pieces and then use sorting machines, or just people standing over a conveyor belt flicking stuff away.

If the recycled material is too shitty, it ends in a dump. Not a big problem with glass, corks and metal, as it's just organic matter and minerals going back to earth. Just a shame for the missed savings in CO2 emissions.

Black glass bottles go into a container for green glass. Unless those black bottles made of some milky glass or if there is some sparkles or metal foil layer - in those cases it is most likely non-recyclable.

White (flint) glass, brown (amber) glass and any other colored transparent glass - these are the distinct groups based on the similarity in recycling methods (significantly different chemical treatment between white, brown and any other colored glass, different process temperature and safety requirements) currently approved for use in Switzerland and EU. Usually, it is more efficient to collect different types of glass separately rather than use any machinery or human labor to sort them after crushing. There are sorting machines for mixed glass, but: 1. They are not perfect and their product has a narrower scope of use compared to sorted at collection point glass. 2. This is an extra processing and transportation step, also significantly adding to emissions.

Most of existing glass sorting plants will first crash the glass substantially, so that all the bottlenecks won't pass until broken into flat enough pieces. By doing that the machine also releases the cork or anything else stuck and on the bottleneck. If something like a smashed screw top is clinging to the glass, then it is being later separated during multiple shacking or a washing processes. Cork and other low density pieces are separated with either air or water pressure treatment, flotation or some other mechanical methods.

It's actually supposed to be written on the containers that every fancy colour goes to the green. Even if it's not written, they still have to go to the green.

Btw, some years ago, while I was at a recycling centre, have overheard a conversation between two guys on this subject. So the guy who seemed Swiss was literally scolding the other one, who appeared German judging by his accent, that "one doesn't leave the corks/caps". It was funny because the German seemed apologetic but he still got "Really, you didn't know that? You're strange (komisch), seriously."

Ever since I was extremely careful to remove the corks and caps, put them to the metals when it's the case. I would do this anyway, but you don't want to be scolded in public if you forget a few of them on.....