Glass recycling is one of the absolute most efficient forms of recycling around, which is why it’s so important that you recycle glass. In a landfill, glass can’t break down over time, but recycled glass can be used to make brand new glass containers, saving literally tons of materials in the process.
On average, about 80% of glass that is thrown away each year is in the form of glass bottles and glass containers, which is tragic, since these are the easiest types of glass to recycle! Plus, glass recycling is really easy, even if your neighborhood doesn’t have a great recycling program.
How Glass is Recycled
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, glass recycling starts by separating glass by color. The glass is then crushed and melted down. Sand, soda ash, and limestone, which are some of the original materials used to make glass in the first place, are added to the crushed glass, which is called cullet. The mixture needs to be heated to 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be liquefied! Then, it’s simply poured into molds and re-formed into bottles and containers.
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Other Facts about Glass Recycling
Since glass containers can be recycled into new glass containers, recycling glass is one of the most efficient and cost effective types of glass recycling. Here are a few other facts that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources notes about glass recycling:
- For every ton of crushed glass used in the manufacturing process, 1.2 tons of raw materials is conserved.
- One ton of recycled glass saves about nine gallons of fuel oil.
- One recycled glass bottle saves enough energy to light a regular light bulb for four hours.
- Post-consumer glass products cuts down on air pollution by 20% and water pollution by 50%.
Clearly, glass recycling is something that everyone should be a part of!
If you live in the San Diego area, check out Recycle San Diego’s Free Recycling Center Search Tool for glass recycling options, especially for appliance glass and other sorts of harder-to-recycle glass. If you’re outside of this area, you can learn where to recycle glass in your area by checking out the search option at Earth911.com.
