Glass containers offer a highly sustainable solution to your packaging needs. Glass is 100% recyclable and if recycled properly it will never lose its purity or its quality no matter how many times it is reused. Glass recycling is also an efficient and effective process that can turn old glass bottles into a completely new product. This recyclability is not only important for the environment, but also for manufacturers, because it can save money and reduce emissions.
Let's discuss some of the most important benefits and key facts of glass recycling:
- One ton of CO2 is decreased for six tons of recycled glass employed in the manufacturing cycle.
- Manufacturers profit by recycling glass severally. For example, it decreases emissions and raw materials' consumption, saves energy, and extends the equipment's life, including furnaces.
- Energy costs are reduced by around 2-3% for every 10% cullet employed in the manufacturing cycle.
- More than one ton of natural resources is saved for one ton of glass recycled.
The Process
With the demand for environmentally safe and sustainable packaging on the rise, recycled products are often an appropriate solution. Proper recycling glass bottles and jars decreases the amount of waste in the landfills and increases the amount of raw glass available for manufacturers to reuse.
Many state and local government offices throughout the country offer recycling programs which accept glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and other items. The process of recycling is an ongoing loop which involves:
- Collection
Consumers and business can either have their recyclables picked up on a regular schedule, or they can drop them off at a designated drop-off location. - Delivery
Once the items have been collected, they are delivered to a Material Recovery Facility to be sorted and separated by type. - Processing
The collected recyclable is then sent to a glass processing company, where it will be separated from the trash and debris and sorted by color. The recycled crushed glass can then be sold to glass container manufacturers to be turned into new glass bottles and jars. - Resale
Products are constantly being sold in new glass containers, which will go on to be recycled and continue the loop.
