Benefits of Glass Recycling
Glass is a material recycled by many curbside collection programs, and it is also accepted at most municipal recycling centers. Here are some of the important reasons to recycle glass containers:
- The typical glass container is made up of as much as 70 percent recycled glass.
- It is estimated that 80 percent of recycled glass, as a whole, will end up as new glass containers.
- Unlike other substances such as paper, glass can be recycled infinitely without any loss of purity or quality.
- To create new glass, substances such as sand must be heated to 2,600° Fahrenheit, which consumes energy and creates pollution from factories.
- Recycled glass first becomes “cullet,” or crushed glass. When making new products from cullet, 40 percent less energy is consumed in place of making glass from new products, because it melts at a lower temperature than virgin ingredients.
- A glass bottle can take up to one million years to breakdown.
- Most glass bottles are eligible for a cash refund in 11 different U.S. states, meaning that recycling them can earn you some money.
- A recycled glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as little as 30 days.
- Because glass is made from naturally-occurring materials like sand, it has a low rate of chemical interaction with the contents of the container, which makes it a safe material to be reused.
- Recycled glass can be used in numerous areas, such as creating sports turf, manufacturing kitchen tiles and providing sand to depleted beaches.
