■ Recycled Granular Glass Sand Association—Secretariat
21-1 Shinsen, Narita-shi, 286-0825, Chiba, JAPAN(inside the Narita Plant of Glass Resourcing Co., Ltd.)TEL: 0476-36-2207
FAX: 0476-36-2203

http://www.rggs-a.com■ Sand Wave G—Manufacturing company
GLASS RESOURCING CO., LTD.

740-1 Kasugacho, Choshi-shi, 288-0814,
CHIBA, JAPAN

Phone: +81 479-24-6651
https://www.glass-r.com
FAX: +81 479-25-5808

Yamauchi Co., Ltd.

15-1 Toyotacho Hino, Shimonoseki-shi, 750-0443,
YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN

Phone: +81 837-67-0530
https://yamauchi-s.net/
FAX: +81 837-67-0531

TOEI Co., Ltd.

28-1 Yancha, Fujie, Higashiura-cho, Chita-gun, 470-2105, Phone: +81 562-83-3880
https://www.toei-eco.co.jp
AICHI, JAPANFAX: +81 562-83-8911

Material Resourcing Tohoku Co., Ltd.

3-4 Dannoue, Iwasaki, Yuzawa-shi, 012-0801,
AKITA, JAPAN

Phone: +81 183-56-8370
FAX: +81 183-56-8372■ Member of Recycled Granular Glass Sand Association(As of July 2023)

Naturetec Kushiro Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 154-57-7766

Koyo Logistics Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 47-392-3101

http://www.koyo-group.co.jp

Towa Industry Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 439-53-0134

http://www.towakogyo.co.jp

TAKENAKA Road Construction Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 3-6458-6850

https://www.takenaka-douro.co.jp

YOSHIDA General Construction Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 79-236-1548

https://yoshida-gumi.co.jp

Hokko Trading Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 256-34-5865

https://www.hokkou-eco.com/

YUTAKA CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD.

Phone: +81 29-309-7266

https://yutaka-k-k.com/

Wakachiku Construction Co., Ltd.
Technical research institute

Phone: +81 438-38-4601

https://www.wakachiku.co.jp

Nariko Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 476-35-5325

https://www.narikoh.co.jp/

Isizu Kenzai Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 478-54-3195

http://isizu.co.jp/

GR Logistics Co., Ltd.

Phone: +81 299-93-1197

https://www.grbutsuryuu.com

Supervisor, Junichi Koseki, Emeritus Professor, the University of Tokyo
Editor,Economic Research Association , Media Department
Issuer,Recycled granular glass sand Association

Ver.4

Recycled Granular Glass Sand Association

Current status of glass recycling and recycled
granular glass sand “Sand Wave G”
Current Status of Glass Bottles

Introduction

Currently, about 1 million tons of glass bottles are made in Japan. 95% of the raw material is a recycled resource called cullet. In
addition, bottles such as sake, soy sauce, milk, and beer are used repeatedly, and these bottles are “star pupils” of recycling. However,

Glass products that are familiar to our lives. Glass is not only used for bottles for various containers,

bottles with colors such as blue and green are difficult to recycle, and about 270,000 tons are landfilled every year.

but also for tableware, window glass, fluorescent lamps, and televisions, etc. It is said that glass has

The Association considers this to be wasteful and has made efforts to develop recycling applications for these materials. One sucha history of about 5,000 years on Earth. A 2,000-year-old glass furnace has been discovered in Japan,
demonstrating a very long history, and glass has been used mainly in glass bottles as a safe and stableachievement is Sand Wave G. The main raw material of recycled granular glass sand Sand Wave G is glass bottles that are difficult torecycle, such as colored bottles, discharged from general households.

container.

The relationship between the earth and glass bottles
In addition, used transparent bottles and brown bottles have been used as raw materials for glass
bottles (glass cullet), but other colored bottles could not be recycled.

The five major elements that make up Earth's crust are oxygen (49.5%), silicon (25.8%), aluminum (7.56%), iron (4.70%), and calcium(3.39%).
Glass bottles were born 5,000 years ago out of human wisdom. Their main components are silicon (62.7%) and calcium (32.4%). Now,

After the enactment of the Act on the Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling of Containers andglass bottles that are no longer used can be returned to Earth in their original form. That is Sand Wave G. It is an environmentally

Packaging in 1995, other colored bottles have been recycled into blocks and tiles for other purposes,

friendly product.

but the status of recycling was far from the ideal of “dispose of, recycle, and distribute” due to issues ofcost and penetration.

Production process
With the concept of “developing applications for difficult-to-use products from the perspective of users
and making them highly versatile,” we developed the recycled granular glass sand “Sand Wave G” byusing glass bottles derived from sand as the main raw material. We eliminated the “piercing and cutting”
qualities of glass through a special crushing processing for various types of glass, and established atechnology for mass processing as a replacement material for natural sand.
After nearly ten years of use, mainly in application development and public works, Recycled Granular
Glass Sand Association was established in December 2008, consisting of a number of companies thatuse granular glass sand and manufacturing companies. Since December 2009, Recycled GranularFinal confirmationline
HopperEmpty bottle loading

Recycled granular glass sandMagnetic materials, aluminum chips,
paper and wood chips, etc.

Crusher

Crushing and granulation

Granularity sorting

Glass Sand Association has been continuously published in the “Integrated Document SUPPORT,” andrecycling and product distribution have become possible across almost the whole of Japan. Goingforward, the Association will propose utilization methods that take advantage of the characteristics ofrecycled granular glass sand, take countermeasures against global warming that is believed to be thecause of recent abnormal weather, and propose applications that can help with disaster recovery andProduct

reduction.
In addition, our wish is to shift from waste disposal to consignment processing. We hope that theSand Wave G (0-5 mm)

Sand Wave G (2-5 mm, 5-10 mm)(General product)(Special order product)* The photo shows a 5-10 mm productuse of glass bottles discharged from municipalities will be studied so that they can be reused by
the municipalities, and that this will help to form a recycling-oriented society that incorporates
environmental measures.

Recycled Granular Glass Sand Association

2

3

Transforming glass bottles and glass scraps
into granular sand with water permeability andcompaction characteristics that go beyond
natural sand.
Sand Wave G is a granular sand made from colored glass bottles and glass scraps that were previously disposedof and landfilled because they are diﬃcult to recycle as the only raw material. It has good water permeability andcompaction characteristics due to the manufacturing process that crushes the glass and makes it edgeless.
It has the same or higher performance as natural sand (mountain sand, river sand, sea sand) and can be used as
an alternative material for sand. It can be widely used as an alternative material for all kinds of sand, including
sand drain and sand compaction sand pile materials and sand mat materials for soft ground improvement that
require especially good quality sand.

Promoting the formation of a recycling-oriented society
What is a recycling-oriented society?
❶ Control of waste generation, etc.
❷ Circular use of recycled resources❸ Ensuring proper disposal of items that cannot be recycled

As a result, the consumption of natural resources is suppressed
and the burden on the environment is reduced as much as possible.

Initiatives that lead to CO2 reductions
Advantages of using “Sand Wave G”

1. Reducing the environmental impact of Sand Wave G (CO2 reduction effect)◆ Reduced environmental impact at the
production stage◆ Reduction of environmental impact at the use stage
and disaster prevention

Effective use of waste glass

Reducing flood damage

Ground water conservation

Extends the working life of landfill sites

Heat island suppression“Guerrilla rainstorm” countermeasure

Reduced CO2

Liquefaction prevention
countermeasure

Weed prevention countermeasure

By using Sand Wave G instead of mountain sand, CO2 is reduced by 0.219 kg per ton. (Refer to figure below)

Approx. 30% improvement effect

Loss of forests, etc.
0.322 kgCO2/t

Mountain sandproduction plant
CO2 generation =CO2 generation related

0.388 kgCO2/t

to power consumptionof glass recycling plant =0.491 kgCO2/t

Mountain sand production facility

Glass recycling facility

Eco-Products Award(Sponsored by the Eco-Products Award Promotion Council and supportedby the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, theMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport andCO2 reduction =0.219 kgCO2/t

Tourism, and the Ministry of the Environment)
November 2005 2nd Eco-Products Award
Received the Chairman's Award (Excellence Award) of the Eco-ProductsAward Promotion Council

2. Satoyama Regeneration Project
GLASS RESOURCING CO., LTD. has been regenerating a ruined mountain sand collection site as a Satoyama (forest park) since 2008, and carries

Commendation for Resource Circulation Technology/Systemout forest conservation activities to ensure the annual absorption of about 2t-CO2 by trees.

(Sponsored by the Clean Japan Center Foundation, supported by the

Sand Wave G—particle diameter 0-5 mm
There are no sharp facets, eliminating “cutting and piercing”

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
October 2010 Received the Chairman's Award of the Clean Japan Center
Foundationand ensuring safety

Eco-Products Commendation

4

Certificate of Commendation for Resource
Circulation Technology/System

Photo of recycling in Satoyama

5Application of Recycled Granular Glass Sand “Sand Wave G”

Environmental characteristics of Sand Wave G

1

Rainwater storageand infiltration
facilities

What is a rainwater storage andinfiltration facility?
In recent years, flood damage due totorrential rains has been occurring
frequently. A rainwater storage andinfiltration facility temporarily storesrainwater and infiltrates it undergroundover time, helping to reduce flood
damage and protect groundwater. It isclassified as a storage facility/infiltration
facility.
Rain that falls infiltrates the ground or
passes across the surfaces of pavements
and flows from gutters into rivers.
However, urbanization is progressing,and torrential rains are causing riverflooding, residential flooding, and roadsurface flooding. There are various
construction methods for rainwater
storage and infiltration facilities, such as
setting up a storage tank underground2

Heat island
suppression

What is a heat island?
The phenomenon whereby
temperatures in urban areas areabnormally high compared tosurrounding suburbs. The heat is causedby the lack of green spaces and thelarge number of buildings and roads.
Since high temperatures aﬀect both the3and infiltrating rainwater into it, orbuilding a room with crushed stone
filling, concrete, or plastic structure.
These facilities are exactly what isneeded right now as we face thechallenges of responding to climatechange.

Construction method for rainwater
storage and infiltration facility
using Sand Wave G

What is a Guerrilla rainstorm?
A sudden, localized downpour that isdiﬃcult to predict. Although there isno clear definition in meteorology, it ischaracterized by (1) extremely localized
rainfall range, (2) short rainfall time, (3)extremely high rainfall per unit of time,and it can occure anywhere. Heavy
rainfall concentrated in a very limitedarea can adversely aﬀect the ground or

Construction photo

Installation is easy: The ground is excavatedand replaced with Sand Wave G, and waterpermeable asphalt or another permeable
object is applied to the surface.
(For structural examples, refer to the structural
drawings)

It is also believed that global warming
and the heat island eﬀect are one
cause. When the air near the groundsurface is warm and humid, and theupper air is cold and dry, active cumulus
clouds form, the atmosphere becomes
unstable, and large amounts of localized
rainfall occur intensively.

flooding. In addition, by installing a verticaldrain down to the sand layer, it is possible
to infiltrate a large amount of rainwater
underground.
(Cross-sectional view ①)
Further, in places other than public roads suchas parking lots, by devising water-permeable
pavements, it is possible to increase theinfiltration capacity and also reduce the roadsurface temperature.

Outcomes that can be expectedfrom the use of Sand Wave G
Damage can be reduced by installing a
rainwater storage and infiltration layer using
Sand Wave G in areas that are prone to

Photo of flood damage caused by a “Guerrilla rainstorm”

Sand Wave G storage capacity
Approximately 300 tons of rainwater
can be stored using 1000 m3 of Sand
Wave G
This is because even if Sand Wave G is laid
down and rolled, the volume ratio (porosity) is
about 30% compared to a filled material dueto the total volume of the particle gaps, andbecause of this good permeability, rainwater
can be stored evenly in the gaps without
stagnation.

natural environment and the lives andhealth of residents, the heat island eﬀect
has come to be regarded as a problem
in recent years. If countermeasures are
not taken, this phenomenon will always
occur in places with high population
density, and the larger the city, thegreater the impact of the heat island
eﬀect.

Heat island suppression with Sand
Wave G

Construction photo(Rainwater storage and infiltration facility,
Chiba Prefectural Sakura High School)

NormalGravel parking lot

the causes of the heat island effect.
By using Sand Wave G as a rainwater reservoir
under a permeable asphalt pavement,
evaporative cooling from the stored rainwatercan reduce the road surface temperature by
about 5-10°C, resulting in the same effect asspraying water. It is easy to install and can beused for parking lots (effective land use) andsidewalks.
(Refer to the structural diagram for how to use)

The surface temperature of pavements rises toaround 60°C in good weather in summer, andthis rise in road surface temperature is one of

Flood damage in a short period of time
(From the website of the Association for Rainwater
Storage and Infiltration Technology)

4

Cross-sectional view ②

ManholeLiquefaction
prevention
countermeasure

A phenomenon in which sand beds
with high groundwater levels becomeliquid due to vibration during anearthquake. As a result, structures withhigh specific gravity sink and fall, andstructures with light specific gravity inthe ground (sewer pipes, etc.) rise up.
(Refer to photo)

Liquefaction prevention
countermeasure using Sand Wave G(Town Hall Parking Lot,
Higashiura-cho, Aichi Prefecture)

Cross-sectional view ①

SWG（5-10mm）
or
SWG（2-5mm）

Undergroundwater level

What is the liquefaction
phenomenon?

Structural Diagram

Construction photo

Photo from Shikoku Chemicals
Corporation website

Structural Diagram

Area where SWG is used in the road bed to form a rainwater reservoir

6

Guerrillarainstorm
countermeasurecause a sudden increase in river water,
leading to flooding damage.

Confirmation of temperature difference by thermocamera

As one of the measures to prevent liquefaction,it has been confirmed that lifting and sagging

Backfilling with SWG

can be prevented by sufficient compaction
with highly permeable materials. (Refer to the
Urban Lifeline Handbook (published by theJapan Society of Civil Engineers))
As highly permeable materials, it is believedthat Sand Wave G (SWG5-10 mm), which has
been adjusted to increase particle size, andSand Wave G (SWG2-5 mm), which has beenadjusted to increase water permeability, canbe expected to have a high effect, and theseproducts have been featured at geotechnicalresearch conferences.

7

Application of Recycled Granular Glass Sand “Sand Wave G”

5

Weed prevention
countermeasure

6■ Anti-weed effectIn addition, Sand Wave G can be used forconstruction work as an alternative to natural sand

Sand Wave G offers good drainage andcontains no nutrients, making it lessFeatures of Sand Wave G (SWG)

susceptible to weeds compared to soil. In
addition, because there is no adhesion, weeds■ Since the SWG particles have no adhesion, workability is good.

■ SWG has a good drainage capacity, so it can be compacted byare easy to remove even if they grow, and by■ SWG is less susceptible to moisture content than natural sand,watering in a narrow area where other compaction techniques

using Sand Wave G in separation zones andPhotographed March 2009

making it possible to continue working even in rainy weather. In

may be ineffective.

gardens, it is possible to reduce the amount ofaddition, it can be compacted even in a wet state, so construction

weeds and reduce maintenance costs related

can progress without the need to wait for drying. This leads topermeability, meaning that it can be used as a backfill material in

to weed treatment.

shortening the work period and reducing the work cost.

places with a high groundwater level or spring water.

■ SWG is less susceptible to water content and has good water■ Comparison with mountain sandFeaturesPhotographed May 2010

Use Case ① (PV power plant - used under the solar panels)

3

Sand Wave G

Mountain sand (production in Ibaraki Prefecture)

Particle density(g/cm )

2.501

2.679

Moisture content ratio

(%)

1.9

14.7

Granularity(2 mm pass ratio %)65

98

Maximum dry density

ρ dmax (g/cm3)

1.711

1.739

Optimal moisture content ratio

(%)

4.9

16.8
-2

-2

Water permeability(cm/s)

1.3 × 1010 to 10-3

Water absorption expansion ratio(%)

0.0013

0.038

Repair CBR(ρ dmax × 0.95)

20.3

16.3

Use in sand drain construction method and sand compaction construction method* With the sand drain (SD) construction
method, sand piles with high water
permeability are formed in the ground at
a predetermined distance and depth, andsand is laid on top of them to promotepressure-tight settlement of viscous ground.
* With the sand compaction pile (SCP)
construction method, sand is press-filled byvibration, etc. to form a compacted sandpile, and the bearing capacity of the sand pileis improved compared to the SD construction
method.

Use Case ② (used for separation zone)

Construction site

Use in sand mat construction method* A highly permeable sand layer with a thickness of about 0.5 to 1.2 m is constructedon soft ground and used for loading for pressure-tight sedimentation on soft
ground or ensuring the upper drainage layer of the vertical drainage method andthe trafficability of construction machinery.
Use Case ③ (used for a training center separation zone)

Use Case ④ (used in private home garden)

Aerial photograph (from the website of Josokokudo, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)

89

Application of Recycled Granular Glass Sand “Sand Wave G”

Mountain sand vs. Sand Wave G

Ground formation

Mountain sandPreparation work culvert drainage

Underground burying backfill

Sand Wave G

Collapse of the slope face is likely to occur due to rain

There is no collapse of the slope face due to good water
permeability

Dust can easily blow around when there is a strong wind

Dust tends not to blow around even in strong winds

Construction site

Construction site

Underground tank backfill

Hume pipe backfill

Construction site

Construction site

Common-use cable tunnel backfill

Retaining wall backfill

Road bed material/Road bed
replacement materialInterlocking block sand paving

Accreditation■ Registration as a new material

Construction site

Registration system

Registration number

Evaluation registration body

New Technology Information System: NETIS(Former) KT-010157-V

Kanto Regional Development Bureau,
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism

GLASS RESOURCING CO., LTD.

New Technology Information Database

1601015

Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Bureau of Construction

GLASS RESOURCING CO., LTD.

New Technology ・New Construction
method information database

1400

Transportation Infrastructure
Department, Shizuoka Prefecture

TOEI Co., Ltd.

* It was also registered in the New Technology Database of the Yokohama City Highway Department, the Bureau of Port and Harbor Tokyo Metropolitan Government,
and the Civil Engineering Department of Ibaraki Prefecture, but it is not currently registered since the registration period (5 years) has passed.

Sand for shear and filter layer* The shear layer is a sand layer placed under the subgrade to prevent road bed soil from infiltrating

Construction site

into the subgrade together with groundwater, weakening the subgrade■ Accreditation as a recycled productAccreditation system* The filter layer functions as a filter when rainwater infiltrates into the road bed and prevents theinfiltration of road bed soil into the subgrade.

Construction site

10

ApplicantAccreditation number

Accreditation body

ApplicantEco-mark products

08 131 011
06 131 016
08 131 018

Japan Environment Association

GLASS RESOURCING CO., LTD.
TOEI Co., Ltd.
Material Resourcing Tohoku Co., Ltd.

Recycled products from Yamaguchi Prefecture

No. 156

Yamaguchi Prefecture

Yamauchi Co., Ltd.

Recycled products from Akita Prefecture

201004

Akita Prefecture

Material Resourcing Tohoku Co., Ltd.

Ibaraki Recycled Construction Materials

20-R3-1

Ibaraki Prefecture

GLASS RESOURCING CO., LTD.

Aichi Recycled Materials (AICLE)

19)-6

Aichi Prefecture

TOEI Co., Ltd.

Construction site11