Importance of Recycling Glass
Glass is a very popular packaging container for food and beverages. It is one of the most commonly recycled materials. Glass is 100 percent recyclable as the quality never deteriorates. Bottles and jars are melted down and transformed into new containers. Recycling glass also helps in saving energy and preserving raw materials. In addition, the recycling is beneficial for the environment as it reduces air and water pollution.
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Conserves Energy
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Glass manufacturing is an energy-intensive process. The raw materials are processed at a very high temperature. Energy is also required in the extraction and transportation of the raw materials. The energy requirement decreases when glass manufacturing utilizes recycled glass rather than manufacturing it entirely from the raw materials. According to the Stanford Recycling Center (California), 1 ton of recycled glass saves 42 Kwh of energy, 0.12 barrels of oil (5 gallons), 714,000 Btu's of energy.
Preserves Raw Materials
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Clear glass is manufactured by utilizing almost pure silica sand and melting it in huge furnaces with some burnt lime or limestone and soda ash. Cullet or crushed glass is also added to a certain extent. Recycling glass reduces the requirement for raw materials. According to the Oberlin College Resource Conservation Team (Ohio), every ton of glass recycled saves 1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of soda ash, 433 pounds of limestone and 151 pounds of feldspar.
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Reduces Pollution
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The glass manufacturing industry consumes huge amounts of fuel. The combustion of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide. \Using recycled glass reduces these emissions. According to World Wildlife Fund, glass manufactured from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. Moreover, manufacturing glass from recycled glass reduces mining waste by 80 percent, according to Jennifer Carless in "Taking Out the Trash: A No-Nonsense Guide to Recycling."
Saves Landfill Space
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According to the EPA, 12.2 million tons of glass ended in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in the year 2008. Approximately 23 percent of this glass was recovered for recycling. Hence, recycling glass helps in saving precious landfill space by diverting glass from the waste stream. According to the Stanford Recycling Center (California), 1 ton of recycled glass saves 2 cubic yards of landfill space.
Other Benefits of Recycling
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Recycled glass has various applications. Approximately 25 percent to 30 percent of manufactured glass uses recycled glass. Moreover broken glass of mixed colors is used in the production of fiberglass and as a substitute for stone in glasphalt. Mixed-color cullet can be utilized in making green glass.
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