Glass has become a daily need for us but due to improper disposal, it has become a challenge for recycling facilities.
Until 2018, the US had 12.3 million tons of glass products altogether. The waste represented 4.2% of total waste.
Although glass can be recycled 100%, it is still a matter of concern as it needs to be collected, sorted and manufactured properly. In this article, we will see the glass recycling process in detail and discuss some practical ways to reduce its waste generation.
Glass Recycling Process Explained
There are two ways for glass disposal: recycling and primary disposal. When recycling, we can save power, landfills and natural resources.
How is Glass Recycled
There are several steps involved in this process and they are explained below
Step 1: Collection
Glass waste is accumulated from different sources such as houses, organizations or public areas through various techniques such as curbside containers, drop-off facilities, or bottle deposit programs. After that, it is transported to specialized glass reusing facilities for more handling.
Step 2: Sorting
The facilities have an optical system that identifies contaminants such as metal, plastics, and other glass with different colors or melting points and removes them from the glass waste. It is also sorted by color, which stands for the additive used during its production, carbon for brown glass, and lead for green and blue.
Step 3: Smashing
The sorted glass waste is then broken into smaller pieces by hammers that crush the glass automatically. A little water may be added to prevent the glass particles from flying around.
Step 4: Sifting
Rotary screens size the glass pieces and divide them by dimensions, generally 3/8″ and 3/4″. A strong fan is then used to blow out any labels that might still be stuck to the glass pieces. The machines screen out anything which is considerably large and too small which is then usually discarded or separated.
Step 5: Cleansing
Now the glass pieces are dried out by a dryer that presses warm air (around 190F) via the glass as well as the bed. This is done to get rid of sugar, germs, or adhesives that might still exist on the glass items. A vacuum is also used to remove any leftover impurities from the pieces.
Step 6: Refining
After that, the glass pieces go through a meshed screen that allows only the smaller pieces of glass to pass through. The bigger chunks are relocated to a pulverizer that breaks them down more finely until they are small enough to fit into the screen openings. It is then repeated until all pieces have the desired size.
Step 7: Categorizing
The pulverized glass pieces are then evaluated once again by additional displays that classify them by dimension according to the last usage. Various items call for various dimensions of glass pieces so each quality is sent out to a particular production market.
Step 8: Cullet
The end product of the glass recycling process is called cullet which is the term for recycled glass. It can vary in size around that of pebbles or sand and can be used to make products such as containers, fiberglass, porcelains, purification systems, abrasives, etc.
Bonus Tip: If you can’t find any recycling facilities, use the glass recycling map, provided by GlassRecycling.org, to find a place, that accepts glass, nearby you.
- Light bulbs, windows, mirrors
- Plate glass, eyeglasses, glass art
- Pyrex baking dishes, fluorescent lighting tubes
- Broken glass, drinking glasses, and crystal glass
Also Read: Is Glass Recycling Profitable – 7 Glass Recycling FAQs
To highlight we have created a glass reusing procedure representation for you. Please see the photo listed below:
There are some types of glass that you can not recycle and they include:
Glass Bottle to Sand Crushers
These are equipment that grinds glass containers right into sand or powder. They function by using hammers or blades to smash the glass into smaller-sized pieces and later rotating them in a vortex or a mixer to smooth out the sides. Some devices also use water to prevent the glass dirt from flying about.
Here are some examples
- Glass2Sand: Glass2Sand is an effort by Udit Singhal, a 19-year-old Indian, now bringing the technology from New Zealand. He has laid over 14,000 glass bottles and thus obtained over 8,400 kilograms of the highest-grade silica sand out of them.
- Andela: Andela is a company manufacturing glass pulverizers capable of 20 tons/hour processing glass.
- Home Glass Crusher: Home Glass Crusher is a handheld machine that is used in a kitchen or a bar and so on. It can recycle each glass bottle alone and then very quickly gives fine particles or even gravel depending on the size of the bottle.
How to Dispose of Broken Glass
Recycling broken glass is difficult, for there are not a lot of services at present willing to receive them. That’s why everyone should know how to dispose of broken glass safely.
To do so, follow the steps mentioned below
- Place the broken glass pieces on a cloth and wrap it securely
- Pack it inside a box and use extra cloth or paper to fill up spaces.
- Close the package and tie it with solid tape.
- On a large white paper, write the words “Broken Glass” in red.
- Stick the paper to the box.
- Put it on a high rack up until rubbish collection day.
You can also check out the Benefits of Glass Recycling.
How to Recycle Glass Bottles
Here are the recycling steps:
Step 1: Check the label first and see if you can recycle the bottle.
Step 2: Empty and flush the bottle with water. It prevents cross-contamination and strong odors during the process of recycling.
Step 3: Please ensure that the metal caps and lids remain on the bottle. Moreover, they can be recycled and don’t contaminate the bottle during the sorting procedure.
Step 4: Next, take off the corks (if a bottle has any). They can not be recycled with glass, but these corks are compostable.
Also See: 20 Fun Glass Recycling Facts
Tips to Recycle Glass at Home
These are the tips to consider when you recycle glass at home:
Tip 1: Glass bottles and jars are used as water bottles, candle holders, miniature terrariums, flower pots, and so on. Your creativity is the limit.
Tip 2: Broken pieces of glass are dangerous instead of throwing them you can make mosaic art pieces or use a rock tumbler to create beautiful sea glass. You can then use them to craft to make decor items such as wind chimes.
Watch this video to make sea glass using a rock tumbler from broken glass pieces.
Glass Recycling Machine Price
The price varies with the features, model, brand name, vendor as well as market conditions. It can be somewhere between $800 to $100,000. You can buy the whole system or the components.
How to Reduce Glass Waste
Limiting the use of glass or any other kind of single-use materials used in making packaging like plastic, paper, or aluminium, is one of the best ways of taking care of the environment around you. Through implementing this measure, you can use less energy, water and the lesser amount of emissions as well as are capable of preventing pollution and waste.
Here are some strategies to reduce your glass waste
1. Purchase less yet better-quality items that last much longer and also need much less upkeep. You can buy durable glassware that is refrigerator and oven-friendly, and use only reusable products.
2. Donate or repair items when you are not using them. For instance, repair a chipped glass vase with glue, reuse glass jars for use in crafts or storage, or give unwanted glass items that you no longer want to charity stores or thrift stores. Also, you can donate to the community group or school for projects or special events that need glass bottles or jars.
3. Either sell, swap, or give away those things that you don’t necessarily need or would not even use anymore, and hence, avoid their unnecessary wastage. To illustrate, sell old glass bottles or jars online, in garage sales, or trade them with your friends or neighbors for something else.
Overall, the glass recycling process is lengthy and requires perfection but it has the advantage of being recycled again and again. Disposing of glass properly can help avoid contamination and injuries faced by workers and animals. So start sorting and disposing of glass in recycle bins starting today.
Also See: How is Plastic Recycled?
