What is Glass Recycling?

Glass is a very important inorganic material which is one of the largest productions of industries. It can be made into a variety of different products used for man’s daily living. It is an amorphous solid which can have different compositions of semiconductors but most importantly are made of molten silica along with limestone and soda ash. It is used in many industrial sectors such as construction, electronics, transportation, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, packaging and many more. Glass is made by melting silica sand along with limestone and soda ash at very high temperatures. The molten mixture is then cooled down to form glass.

Glass can be recycled in many ways. It can be recycled by using it as a raw material for the production of new glass. It can also be used as an aggregate in asphalt or concrete for road building. Other ways of recycling glass are to use it as a filler in plastics or rubber products or even as an additive in paint or ceramics.

Glass recycling is a process of reprocessing of glass from one form to another. It reduces the need for raw materials and energy consumption. It also reduces the amount of waste which would have been produced from the disposal of glass into landfills. Recycling of glass is a great way to save energy and reduce pollution.

Glass can be recycled by using it as a raw material for the production of new glass. It can also be used as an aggregate in asphalt or concrete for road building. Other ways of recycling glass are to use it as a filler in plastics or rubber products or even as an additive in paint or ceramics.

Steps Involved in Glass Recycling

The primary steps involved in glass recycling are collection, separation, crushing, washing, storage and reuse.

Glass collection is done by collecting all the waste glass from households and industries and transporting it to a processing plant for further treatment.

Glass separation is done by using a variety of methods such as screening, crushing, magnetic separation etc. The separation process helps in removing contaminants from the collected glass which includes dirt, paper, plastic etc.

Crushing of glass is done to reduce the size of the collected glass so that it can be further processed. The crushed glass is then washed so that dirt and contaminants are removed from it before it is sent for reuse or further processing. The crushed and washed glass is then stored until it is ready to be reused or processed further for reuse.

The final step in the process is reusing the processed glass either by melting it again and forming new products out of it or using it as an additive in other products such as plastics, rubber etc.

The most common method used for recycling of glass is thermal recycling which includes melting and forming into new products such as fiberglass insulation panels, fiberglass pipes etc. Another method used for recycling of glass is chemical recycling which includes adding small amounts of recycled glass into other products such as concrete, cement etc.

Conclusion

Recycling of glass is very important because glass is non-biodegradable and it is a very heavy material. If glass is not recycled, it will remain in the environment for a very long time.Glass can be recycled indefinitely and it is a very good source of energy. Recycling of glass provides a great deal of energy saving.