Soon, cars may be fitted with windows made of a light, impact resistant polycarbonate core surrounded by a scratch resistant coating. For about the same cost to produce, drivers in the future will have car windows which are lighter, harder for crooks to smash, and less able to smash in a crash. It will also be able to be recycled. Today's glass is cheap and provides durable protection for drivers. But it's also heavy, difficult to shape, unfriendly to passengers if it fails during a crash.
Recycled glass uses only two-thirds the energy needed to manufacture glass from scratch.
That means for every soft drink bottle that is recycled, enough energy is saved to run a television set for an hour and a half. An expert in mobile commerce and the future of business technology, Tod is a national radio broadcaster, columnist for many publications, and is a frequent and popular keynote speaker. Contents are copyright 1998- 2000 Tod Maffin. Future File is a registered trademark.