How recycling glassware benefits the environment

Glass recycling
How recycling glassware benefits the environment
 
Is glass the same as crystal? They are very different materials, although not everyone knows it. In fact, many people still throw light bulbs, broken glasses or perfume bottles into the glass container, which leads to errors in glass recycling. Understanding how to dispose of glassware or how to dispose of broken glass is key to avoiding contamination in the process.

Although glass and crystal may look similar at first glance, crystal is more transparent and fragile. They also differ in composition. Crystal has a regular and ordered atomic structure, formed naturally through the crystallisation of gases, while glass has a disorganised and irregular structure. Both materials can be manufactured and recycled, but always separately. As we will see, crystal contains lead oxide that can damage glass recycling furnaces.

Why it is important to recycle these materials
Recycling glass benefits the environment. The same applies to glassware, including recycled drinking glasses, bottles or stemware. Why?

Conservation of natural resources. New glass is made from silica sand, sodium carbonate and limestone. Recycling it is key to reducing the extraction of raw materials. The same is true for glass.

Energy saving. Melting these recycled materials requires lower temperatures than producing them from scratch.

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing energy consumption, CO₂ emissions are also reduced.

Reduction of waste in landfills. Neither glass nor crystal degrade easily; they can take centuries to decompose. Recycling them prevents them from accumulating in landfills.

Circular economy and sustainability. Glass and glass are 100% recyclable, allowing waste to be reincorporated into the production cycle as a secondary raw material.

Social and economic impact. Recycling creates jobs in the collection, sorting and treatment chain, as well as promoting more sustainable and cleaner cities. And it prevents tons of these materials from ending up in landfills.
What is considered glassware and what is not
Wine and champagne glasses, water glasses -including recycled glasses-, beer mugs, shot glasses, glass bottles… are glassware. But there is also kitchen glassware, bowls, measuring cups, dishes … and laboratory glassware: flasks, test tubes, test tubes, pipettes, burettes … There are decorative glassware (vases, figures, ornaments, lamps, stained glass) and specialized glassware: optical instruments, technical containers, industrial parts, flat glass objects (windows, moons or pictures).

Ceramics, porcelain, light bulbs and mirrors are not glassware. And, of course, they should not be placed in the green garbage can either if in doubt.

How to recycle glassware
Glassware recycling regulations may differ from municipality to municipality; therefore, it is best to check with your local waste management service for specific information on how to dispose of glassware or how to dispose of broken glass.

We already know that glass, which is 100% recyclable infinite times and without losing its properties, should be deposited in the green container. However, to dispose of glassware, the ideal is:

Clean it from food and drink residues.

Separate it by color.

Place it in the appropriate container: instead of throwing it in the green container, use the reject container.

If there is no reject container, take it to a clean point, as it may contaminate the recycling process.
From waste to new products: the journey of recycled glass
To make glass, the components used to produce glass – silica sand, sodium carbonate and limestone – are required, to which metal oxides, such as lead, are added to give it color, or other heavy materials to add luster and sonority. Calcine can also be added to speed up the process and make it more economical.

The mixture is heated in an oven at extreme temperatures so that the materials melt and become a homogeneous liquid mass. The hot liquid is then molded into the desired shape, which can be done either industrially, with automatic machinery that blows compressed air into the molten liquid to expand it inside a mold, or artisanally. The artisan blows air into the liquid through a long metal tube, called a shank, to make bubbles in it and, from there, give it the desired shape. The newly formed object is slowly cooled in an annealing furnace. This relieves internal stresses, preventing rapid cooling from causing it to break or develop unwanted hardness.

Environmental impact of glass recycling
By recycling glassware, the glass transformed into cullet – glass that has been crushed, sorted and cleaned – can be reused, thus avoiding overexploitation of resources. The use of cullet contributes directly to energy savings, as it lowers the melting temperature and reduces CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere. This is directly related to how to recycle glass and why it is so important to separate each material well.

The future of glass recycling
The future of glass and glass reuse centers on technological advances and the promotion of a sustainable economy. Advances include optical sorting technologies to improve efficiency, the reuse of recycled glass as a raw material (cullet) and the development of new construction products. The aim is to maximize recycling, minimize raw material extraction, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.

In PICVISA we want to be protagonists of this future. We offer state-of-the-art optical separation equipment, such as ECOGLASS. With technology based on artificial vision, they identify and separate materials according to their chemical composition, shapes and colors, with versatility, speed and precision. We want to make it clear: glass waste can contaminate the glass recycling process, impairing the manufacture of new containers.