Glass begins its life as sand. It is transformed by heat into the many different forms that we know today. Every day, we throw away bottles, broken glass windows, and many other types of glass. However, many people are not aware that glass is 100% recyclable.
8 Glass Recycling Facts
You can recycle glass many times, instead of just once. This is because it does not degrade each time it is recycled like paper, plastics, and other recyclables. Let’s explore 8 facts about recycling glass.
- Recycling glass reduces emissions, and it reduces the consumption of raw materials. In addition, recycling glass is one of the most energy-efficient of the recycling processes.
- Recycled glass is always a part of the recipe for making new glass. The more recycled glass is used, the less heat it takes in the furnace to create the new product.
- Most glass containers are 100% recyclable, but some types of glass are not. For instance, some windows, crystal, Pyrex, and glass produced through another manufacturing process cannot be recycled, so check with your recycling center first.
- In 2018, nearly 39.6% of all beer and soft drink bottles went into the recycling process.
- Glass for beverages consumed on premise, like in a restaurant, hotel, or bar, makes up about 80% of the glass containers available. This provides an excellent opportunity for collecting glass for recycling.
- According to the Glass Packaging Institute, every 100,000 tons of recycled glass creates about eight jobs.
- States that have container deposit legislation recycle about 63% of the glass produced. In states that do not have a recycling deposit, only 24% of available glass for recycling is used.
- The glass must be clean and free of contaminants to be used in the recycling process. This happens at the sorting facility.
Glass is one of the least recycled items, and it is an excellent candidate for making something new from something old. Recycling glass that can be recycled reduces landfill waste, provides jobs, and is good for everyone. So the next time you are ready to discard a broken window, bottles, or glass from renovating your house, you might want to consider recycling it first.
