Benefits of Recycling Glass

Glass is one of the most commonly and easily recycled materials. The Glass Packaging Institute reports that almost 35 percent of glass containers are collected and recycled every year. Recycling glass yields environmental and economic benefits that couldn't be obtained from throwing it out or making glass entirely from raw materials.

Environmental Benefits

• Recycling glass has many environmental benefits. When glass is collected it is ground into small pieces called cullet. Cullet is used in the glass manufacturing process as a replacement for raw materials.

  The Glass Packaging Institute lists the benefits of using cullet. Cullet reduces the amount of raw materials used in the manufacturing process, which means less mining and extraction.

  Using cullet requires less energy than manufacturing from raw materials. As a result every six tons of glass recycled saves one ton of carbon dioxide emission and decreases emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulates.

  Since the glass ground into cullet is already pure, it can be recycled endlessly with no loss of quality. Because of the pure quality, recycled glass operates as a closed loop system, where recycled glass products can be brought back and reused again. The process results in none of the wasteful byproducts that using raw materials creates.

Economic Benefits

• Glass recycling provides economic benefits to glass manufacturers. For every 10 percent of cullet added to the mix, there is a two to three percent savings in energy costs. The purity of cullet reduces the heat needed in furnaces by 200 degrees, from 2800 degrees to 2600 degrees Fahrenheit, which extends the life of the furnace.

  Recycling glass provides jobs. The Institute of Local Self Reliance estimates that 26 jobs are created for every 10,000 tons of glass recycled annually.

Products Made from Recycled Glass

• Ground up glass is used in efficient pool filters

  The Glass Packaging Institute estimates that 80 percent of recycled glass goes back to making glass bottles. The remaining 20 percent is lower quality glass that is used in other industrial applications.

  Ground glass is mixed with other materials to created road base and fill for road and airport runaway construction. It is mixed with other construction soils for laying pipes and dust control. Ground glass is added to compost to improve poorly drained soils.

  Ground glass is an alternative to silica sand in pool and septic filters. The material is lighter weight, requires less volume and provides energy savings.

  Recycled glass is used to create seamless surfaces such as flooring and counter tops and is utilized in high end ceramics.