Glass recycling is the process of repurposing glass into new products. Glass is a sustainable material that can be recycled indefinitely without losing its quality or purity. Recycling glass can save energy, reduce emissions, and conserve natural resources.

When glass is recycled, it is first collected and sorted by colour. Clear, green, brown, blue and red glass can all be recycled, but must be separated because they have different melting temperatures and cannot be mixed. The sorted glass is then crushed into small pieces, known as cullet, and cleaned to remove any impurities.

The cullet is then melted in a furnace at temperatures of around 1,550 degrees Celsius. This creates a liquid glass that is poured into molds to form new products, such as bottles and jars. The melted glass is also mixed with other materials, such as sand, soda ash, and limestone, to create different types of glass, such as container glass and flat glass.

One of the benefits of glass recycling is that it saves energy. When glass is recycled, it can be melted at lower temperatures than when it is made from raw materials. This reduces the amount of energy needed to produce new glass products, and thus also reduces emissions of greenhouse gases.

Another benefit of glass recycling is that it conserves natural resources. Glass is made from sand, soda ash, and limestone, which are all abundant natural resources. However, mining and processing these materials can have negative impacts on the environment. By recycling glass, we can reduce the demand for these raw materials and conserve these resources for future generations.

In addition to individual actions, governments and businesses also play a role in promoting glass recycling. Governments can enact regulations and provide incentives to encourage the recycling of glass. Businesses can also support glass recycling by providing recycling facilities and purchasing recycled glass for use in their products.

Overall, glass recycling is an important part of creating a more sustainable society. By re-purposing glass into new products, we can save energy, reduce emissions, and conserve natural resources. By supporting glass recycling and making it a part of our daily lives, we can all play a part in creating a cleaner and healthier planet.

How to identify recyclable and recycled options.

The global Sustainability Award helps to identify the best sustainable and virgin plastic-free options.