Steps to Recycle Glass
Due to the purity of the ingredients and the quick turnaround of recycling, glass is one of the simplest and most popular recycled materials. Glass products actually begin as readily-available domestic materials, such as sand, soda ash or limestone.
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Recycled Glass Production
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Unlike some resources, glass can be recycled over and over without any loss of quality. It has a low rate of chemical interaction with its container contents, making it a safe material to be reused. A recycled glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as little as 30 days.
Benefits of Glass Recycling
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Every ton of glass that is recycled results in one ton of raw materials saved to process new glass, including: 1,300 pounds of sand, 410 pounds of soda ash and 380 pounds of limestone. Because crushed recycled glass (cullet) burns at a lower temperature, 40 percent less energy is consumed when making recycled glass products than when manufacturing virgin glass. Cullet is also less costly than using raw materials.
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How Glass is Recycled
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Crushed glass, or cullet, is created by melting down bottles and jars in a furnace. This cullet serves as the main ingredient in new glass containers. The melted cullet is then molded into the desired shape.
Since colored glass containers are created by adding a coloring agent that cannot be removed, colored glass can only be used to produce new glass of the same color. Glass that has been contaminated by color mixing or other contaminants can be used to insulate fiberglass or as an ingredient in concrete.
Products Created From Recycled Glass
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The primary end product of recycled glass is new glass bottles and jars, but it can also be used in tiles, fiberglass production, concrete and highway reflective paint, and to provide additional sand to eroding beaches.
Where to Recycle Glass
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Glass is a recycled by many curbside collection programs and also accepted at most municipal recycling centers. In some states like California, Massachusetts and New York, glass bottles are eligible for a cash refund.
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