Glass Recycling Basics

Incorporate glass recycling as part of an eco-friendly lifestyle within your business or industry

Glass recycling, like other types of recycling, cuts down on the landfill waste, and it also saves natural resources and energy. Glass recycling companies take residential glass bottles, jars, containers and packaging, and crush them into pieces of material called cullet. Cullet, or the crushed glass, is then used with glass recycling equipment and combined with sand, limestone and soda ash to form new glass products. Additionally, recycled glass melts at lower temperatures and creates less pollution than glass made from brand new materials.

In addition to cullet creation, some of the glass recycling basics involve separation of contaminants and reformation. First, the glass recycling business removes contaminants or coloring agents so that the reusable glass can be incorporated into building materials like concrete or fiberglass. During the glass reformation process, the cullet melts, then it is molded and reshaped into containers, bottles, jars, packaging and more.

1. Learn about some of the facts and benefits of recycling glass.
2. Work with glass recycling companies who can aid in recycling your glass products ranging from bottles, jars, containers and others.
3. Find glass recycling equipment if you choose to enter the glass recycling business.
4. Buy recycled glass to manufacture products for your business.
   

 

Find resources about some of the benefits of glass recycling

Search for general information about glass recycling basics, whether you want to distribute glass products or start your own glass recycling business.
Try: Get the facts about glass recycling basics at Green Mountain Glass. The Glass Packaging Institute also provides steps on recycling glass. Earth911 also features information about glass recycling basics, as well as the benefits.

Contact glass recycling companies that offer services

Find a glass recycling company that specializes in reusing glass products and provides other services.
Try: Planet Recycling offers services such as program setup. The ECG Company provides direct glass recycling services to public entities and private companies.

Buy glass recycling equipment for your own business

Glass recycling equipment works for residential glass, window glass recycling and more.
Try: Glass Aggregate Systems manufactures equipment for glass recycling and conversion. The C.S. Bell Company stocks glass crushers and other glass recycling equipment.

Search for recycled glass to use as part of your product line

Depending on your specialty, get information about glass recycling and shop for recycled glass from different dealers.
Try: EnviroGLAS produces flooring, countertop and other designs from recycled glass. Bedrock Industries also manufactures a variety of household and industrial products made from recycled glass.

 

• In addition to appearing as clear, recycled glass also comes in blue, green and brown. Glass recyclers typically separate the colors to prevent the mixing of colors and chemicals during the glass reproduction process.
• Clear, or colorless, recycled glass appears on grocery store products like pasta sauce jars. Blue glass, made by adding cobalt oxide, can be used to store ink. Green glass, used for most wine bottles, is made by using copper, chromium or iron. Items such as beer bottles sometimes appear as brown glass, which is formed by using carbon, nickel and sulfur during the production process.

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