Glass

Glass is 100 % recyclable and can be recycled indefinitely without any loss in quality

Glass is non-combustible therefore there is no option of energy recovery through incineration. In order to achieve recycling targets glass has to be recycled back into the industry.

Once collected glass is sorted into colour and any contaminants removed before the glass is crushed to form cullet which can then be incorporated with virgin materials back into the glass making furnaces.

UK glassmakers prize clear glass most highly, and green, which predominates in the waste stream, the least. This has led to controversy within the industry over the usefulness of mixed collections. However, as glassmakers are starting to use colour sorting equipment, most are confident of overcoming this problem.

Many believe that container manufacture is the best use for cullet, as it can be re-melted countless times, but as tonnage grows, it is thought that alternative uses for green glass, such as grit blasting, use in road surfaces and water filtration will become increasingly important in ensuring end-markets.

Why Recycle Glass?

• Reduce Disposal Costs
  
  

• Reduce the Use of Virgin Raw Materials and therefore reduces the need for quarrying of raw materials
  
  

• Save Energy, the energy needed to melt recycled glass is considerably less than that needed to melt raw materials to make new glass. Increasing the amount of glass cullet in the furnace to 50% can result in a 15% saving in energy

British Glass

Glasspac.com is the new glass packaging communication body formed by British Glass.

Where can I get my glass collected and recycled?

Letsrecycle.com - national directories of glass collectors, recyclers and processors as well as the latest prices for cullet.