Recycling - Critical for Glass Containers to Be Competitive

Glass, along with newspaper and aluminum, has the longest history of recycling used and discarded containers into new containers. In fact, beverage glass is 100 percent recyclable with no reduction in quality or purity. Almost 25 percent of the beverage glass in the United States is recycled.

Consumers Recycling Glass

Recycled Bottles to be Sorted

Recycling is critical if glass manufacturers are going to compete effectively against aluminum and plastic containers.  This makes sense from an environmental standpoint and economic standpoint for the following reasons:

• For every ton of glass recycled, a ton of other resources are saved.
• One ton of carbon dioxide emissions are saved for each six tons of glass recycled.
• Glass manufacturers benefit from recycling by reducing emissions, extending the life of furnaces, and reducing energy costs.

Recycled Beverage Bottles

State governments also have a role in promoting recycling glass. States with deposits on beverage containers have a 63 percent glass recycling rate while non-deposit states average only 24 percent. In 2011, 34.2 percent of all glass containers were recycled.

Glass Recycling Factory

The above diagram shows how bottles and jars are recycled and used in manufacturing new glass. Cullet glass and bottles are first sent to the crusher and through the cullet mill. This turns the glass into a powder that is sifted and sent to the mixing machine. The mixing machine mixes the recycled glass and other ingredients in the proper proportions and sends them to the ovens or baking machine where the glass is melted and poured into moulds to form bottles.

  

Bottles and Jars Made from Recycled Glass

Although glass manufacturers have been able to reduce the weight of glass containers by fifty percent, they are still heavier than similar aluminum and plastic products. Recycling is the key factor if glass containers are going to compete effectively against aluminum and plastic. Because plastic is made from petroleum, there are geopolitical reasons for using glass instead of plastic. It is better for the environment, for our balance of payments, and creates more jobs domestically.

Research Questions

• Are all glass products 100 percent recyclable as beverage glass containers?
• Why does it take less energy to recycle glass than it does to make it from the raw ingredients?
• If states with container deposit laws have a 63 percent recycling rate, why don't the others with a 24 percent recycling rate pass similar laws?   

References

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/glass.htm

http://www.gpi.org/recycling/glass-recycling-facts