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How is Glass Recycled?

Here’s a breakdown of how glass is recycled:

  1. Colored BottlesColor Separation: Colored glass containers have been created by adding a coloring agent that can’t be removed, so green and brown glass can only be used to produce new green and brown glass, respectively.
  2. Separation of Contaminants: Any glass that has been contaminated by color mixing or other contaminants can be used to insulate fiberglass or as an ingredient in concrete.
  3. Cullet Creation: Cullet is crushed glass, and is created by melting down bottles and jars is a furnace. Any paper labels left on the glass will be burnt off, but metal lids are removed so they do not harm the furnace. Cullet melts at a lower temperature than raw ingredients used to make new glass, such as sand, so significant energy is saved in this process.
  4. Glass RowReformation: Cullet serves as the main ingredient in new glass containers, often as high as 70 percent of the content. The melted cullet is molded into the desired shape of a bottle or jar, with the end product back on the shelves within 30 days of the original glass container being recycled.