Waste Glass - Material Description - User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction - FHWA-RD-97-148 User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction Publication Number: FHWA-RD-97-148 Material Description ORIGIN Glass is a product of the supercooling of a melted liquid mixture consisting primarily of sand (silicon dioxide) and soda ash (sodium carbonate) to a rigid condition, in which the supercooled material does not crystallize and retains the organization and internal structure of the melted liquid. When waste glass is crushed to sandlike particle sizes, similar to those of natural sand, it exhibits properties of an aggregate material. In 1994 approximately 9.2 million metric tons (10.2 million tons) of postconsumer glass was discarded in the municipal solid waste stream in the United States. Approximately 8.1 million metric tons (8.9 million tons) or 80 percent of this waste glass was container glass.(1) CURRENT MANAGEMENT OPTIONS Recycling Over the past decade, there have been widespread efforts to recover postconsumer glass.

Bottle bill legislation, which provides for deposits during purchase of containers and deposit bottle returns at retail outlets, has been introduced in some states, but more often glass recovery and recycling have been attempted through the collection of waste glass at recycling centers or Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). MRFs are facilities that are designed to sort, store, and market municipal solid waste recyclables that are collected at the curb (source-separated materials). Curbside separation of glass involves homeowner or apartment dweller separation of container glass (or glass commingled with other recyclables such as ferrous and aluminum cans and plastic containers) in preparation for the transport of these materials to the MRF. Some communities that do not have curbside collection offer waste glass drop-off locations for collection. At most MRFs, waste glass is hand-sorted by color (white, amber, and green), and crushed for size reduction (generally to less than 50 mm (2 in) in size). Crushed (color-sorted) glass, which is commonly referred to as cullet, is marketed in most locales as a raw material for use in the manufacture of new glass containers.

Traditionally, glass recycling has involved the collection and sorting of glass by color for use in the manufacture of new glass containers. Recycling postconsumer glass from the municipal solid waste stream for use as a raw material in new glass products is limited, however, by the high cost of collection and processing (hand sorting) of waste glass,(2,3) and specifications that limit impurities (e.g., ceramics, ferrous metal, paper, plastics and mixed-colored cullet) in the glass production process. In addition, during collection and handling of glass, high percentages of glass breakage (30 to 60 percent)(4) limit the quantity of glass that can actually be recovered using hand-sorting practices. Given these limitations, traditional glass recycling rates have been relatively low. Disposal The EPA has estimated that in 1994 approximately 9.1 million metric tons (10.1 million tons) or 77 percent of the waste glass generated in the United States was landfilled.(1) MARKET SOURCES Figure 20-1 provides a schematic representation of the flow of container glass in the United States along with potential recycling options.

In most cases, mixed-colored waste glass can be obtained by contacting the municipality that is responsible for the collection of recyclables or the MRF operator. The quality of waste glass obtained from MRFs, which collect and process glass from municipal recycling collection districts, can vary widely and can contain dirt, paper, and plastics. Glass gradation can also vary widely. It can range in top size from 25 mm (1 in) to 100 mm (4 in). The exact physical characteristics of the glass from any given source will depend on the processing equipment (e.g., crushing and screening equipment) at the MRF and the degree of processing afforded the mixed colored glass. HIGHWAY USES AND PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS Asphalt Concrete Aggregate Waste glass has been used in highway construction as an aggregate substitute in asphalt paving. Many communities have recently incorporated glass into their roadway specifications, which could help to encourage greater use of the material. Granular Base or Fill Crushed glass or cullet, if properly sized and processed, can exhibit characteristics similar to that of a gravel or sand. As a result, it should also be suitable for use as a road base or fill material. Figure 20-1.

General overview of glass cycle in the United States When used in construction applications, glass must be crushed and screened to produce an appropriate design gradation. Glass crushing equipment normally used to produce a cullet is similar to rock crushing equipment (e.g., hammermills, rotating breaker bars, rotating drum and breaker plate, impact crushers).(4) Because MRF glass crushing equipment has been primarily designed to reduce the size or densify the cullet for transportation purposes and for use as a glass production feedstock material, the crushing equipment used in MRFs is typically smaller and uses less energy than conventional aggregate or rock crushing equipment. Successful production of glass aggregate using recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) processing equipment (crushers and screens) has been reported.(3) Magnetic separation and air classification may also be required to remove any residual ferrous materials or paper still mixed in with the cullet. Due to the relatively low glass-generation rates from small communities, stockpiles of sufficient size need to be accumulated to provide a consistent supply of material in order for glass use to be practical in pavement construction applications. MATERIAL PROPERTIES Physical Properties Crushed glass (cullet) particles are generally angular in shape and can contain some flat and elongated particles.

The degree of angularity and the quantity of flat and elongated particles depend on the degree of processing (i.e., crushing). Smaller particles, resulting from extra crushing, will exhibit somewhat less angularity and reduced quantities of flat and elongated particles. Proper crushing can virtually eliminate sharp edges and the corresponding safety hazards associated with manual handling of the product. Uncontaminated or clean glass itself exhibits consistent properties; however, the properties of waste glass from MRFs are much more variable due to the presence of nonglass debris present in the waste stream. Table 20-1 lists some typical physical properties of waste glass collected from a number of MRF facilities.(2) Table 20-1. Selected physical properties of waste glass. Test ~ 6 x 10-2 ASTM D2434 a. Coarse and Fine glass samples represent minus 19 mm (3/4-in) and minus 6.4 mm (1/4-in) samples, respectively, collected from several MRF facilities unless otherwise indicated. b. Coarse specific gravity samples represent glass fraction greater than 4.75 mm (No. 4 sieve); fine samples represent glass fraction less than 4.75 mm (No.

4 sieve). c. ASTM D854 and C127 procedures were used for the coarse and fine fractions, respectively. Glass collected from MRF facilities can be expected to exhibit a specific gravity of approximately 2.5. The degree of variability in this value depends on the degree of sample contamination and is reflected in the range of specific gravity data shown in Table 20-1. Crushed glass, which exhibits coefficients of permeability ranging from 10-1 to 10-2 cm/sec, is a highly permeable material, similar to a coarse sand. The actual coefficient of permeability depends on the gradation of the glass, which, in turn, depends on the degree of processing (crushing and screening) to which the glass is subjected. The particle size distribution of glass received from MRF facilities can vary greatly. Table 20-2 presents typical glass gradation values for crushed glass received from a New York City MRF.(5) Table 20-2. Waste glass gradation results.a Standard Sieve Size a. Represents waste cullet collected from a City of New York MRF in 1993.

Chemical Properties Glass-formers are those elements that can be converted into glass when combined with oxygen. Silicon dioxide (SiO2), used in the form of sand, is by far the most common glass-former. Common glass contains about 70 percent SiO2. Soda ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate, Na2CO3) acts as a fluxing agent in the melt. It lowers the melting point and the viscosity of the formed glass, releases carbon dioxide, and helps stir the melt. Other additives are also introduced into glass to achieve specific properties. For example, either limestone or dolomite are sometimes used in lieu of soda ash. Alumina, lead, and cadmium are used to increase the strength of the glass and increase resistance to chemical attack. Various iron compounds, chromium compounds, carbon, and sulfur are used as coloring agents. Most glass bottles and window glass are made from soda-lime glass, which accounts for approximately 90 percent of the glass produced in the United States. Lead-alkali-silicate glasses are used in the manufacture of lightbulbs, neon signs, and crystal and optical glassware.

Borosilicate glasses, which have extraordinary chemical resistance and high temperature softening points are used in the manufacture of cooking and laboratory ware.(6) Table 20-3 lists the typical chemical compositions of these glasses. Table 20-3. Typical chemical composition of glass types. Constituent a. Higher levels for amber-colored glass. b. Only present in green glass. Glass is generally considered an inert material; however, it is not chemically resistant to hydrofluoric acid and alkali. Expansive reactions between amorphous silica (glass) and alkalis (such as sodium and potassium found in high concentrations in high alkali Portland cement) could have deleterious effects if glass is used in Portland cement concrete structures.(8,9) Mechanical Properties Typical mechanical properties for glass are listed in Table 20-4.(2) is a brittle material that fractures from tensile stress. Gravel-sized particles greater than 4.75 mm (No. 4 sieve) size exhibit relatively poor durability when compared with conventional aggregate materials. The internal friction angle or shear strength and bearing capacity of crushed blended aggregates high, its compactibility insensitive to moisture content.

Due vitreous, inert nature, can be expected good soundness properties, but frictional properties. > Typical mechanical properties if waste glass are shown in Table 20-4. Table 20-4. Typical mechanical properties of waste glass. Test Other Properties (Thermal, Reflection, and Glare) Glass is known for its insulating or heat-retention properties (low thermal conductivity). Aggregates and aggregate mixtures with low thermal conductivity can help to decrease the depth of frost penetration. Studies conducted at the Colorado School of Mines in the early 1970's reported that glass aggregate pavements take a longer time to cool down due in part to the lower thermal conductivity of glass, when compared to natural aggregates.(11) Recent thermal conductivity test results (ASTM C518) for mixed-colored crushed glass are presented in Table 20-5.(2) Comparison of the results for crushed glass with those for a natural gravelly sand aggregate mix show that glass can be expected to exhibit higher heat retention than natural aggregate materials. Table 20-5. Thermal conductivity test results. Material 1. Results are presented for two separate samples.

The high reflective properties of glass can be a desirable property in highway construction if they assist in delineating the roadway surface from the surrounding environs. Excessive reflection could, however, result in glare that could adversely affect roadway visibility. There are no documented studies on the quantities of size fractions of glass in pavements that are likely to produce excessive glare. There is, however, a noticeable glass reflection in pavements with glass fractions exceeding 15 percent by weight. REFERENCES EPA. Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1995 Update, EPA 530-R-96-001, March 1996. Washington State Department of Trade and Economic Development, Glass Feedstock Evaluation Project, 1993. Chesner, W. H. and Petrarca, R. W. "The Ecosphere Recycling System and the Use of Glass as a Construction Aggregate Material," Proceedings of the 1988 Conference on Solid Waste Management and Materials Policy. Legislative Commission on Solid Waste, New York State, January 1988. Egosi, N. G. "Mixed Broken Glass Processing Solutions," Utilization of Waste Materials in Civil Engineering Construction. Editors H.

Inyang and K. Bergeson, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1992. Chesner, W. H. "Waste Glass and Sludge for Use in Asphalt Pavement," Utilization of Waste Materials in Civil Engineering Construction. Editors: H. Inyang and K. Bergeson, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1992. Samtur, H. Glass Recycling and Reuse, University of Wisconsin, National Science Foundation, NTIS PB239674, March 1974. Ahmed, I. Use of Waste Materials in Highway Construction, Purdue University, FHWA/INJHRP-91/3, January 1991. Phillips, J. C., D. S. Cahn, and G. W. Keller. "Refuse Glass Aggregate in Portland Cement Concrete," Proceedings of the Third Mineral Waste Utilization Symposium, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Chicago, Illinois, March 1972. Johnston, C. D. "Waste Glass as Coarse Aggregate for Concrete." American Society for Testing Materials, Journal of Testing and Evaluation, Vol. 2, No. 5, 1974.

Duckett, E. J. Cullet from Municipal Waste, Ceramic Industry, April 1979. Dickson, P. "Cold Weather Paving with Glassphalt," Albuquerque Symposium on Utilization of Waste Glass in Secondary Products, 1973. Glass Recycling | Why Glass | For Business | Consol Glass Recycling Glass Recycling A long-term Sustainability Solution As a country we consume in excess of 3.1 million tons of glass a year of which two thirds is reusable and can be diverted from landfill; estimates put glass at 4.5% of the waste stream. As South Africans we should be striving for a resource efficient economy where pragmatic sustainability measures, like glass recycling, drive waste reduction. "A life without cause is a life without effect.” Barbarella Not merely a socially conventional activity, recycling glass makes a material difference – saving energy, water and natural resources, while reducing waste landfill. Unlike other materials in the waste stream, glass can also be recycled an unlimited number of times without compromising on quality; product integrity is retained. When using recycled glass (cullet) there are no losses in the melting process; one ton of cullet will generate one ton of bottles.

In contrast it takes approximately 1.2 tons virgin batch material to manufacture 1 ton of glass. The recovery and recycling of used glass containers has and remains a Consol priority with sizeable investment into capacity development. As the largest glass manufacturer in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Group is committed to assisting in the achievement of South Africa’s climate change obligations and to converting consumers into agents of change. The Road to Recycling All glass bottles and jars are recyclable and there are more than 3 000 bottle banks strategically placed in cities throughout South Africa to assist in domestic recoveries. This waste glass, banked for the good of the environment, is collected by local independent registered waste collection agents and sold back to the glass packaging industry. Once collected, waste glass is separated into colours, cleaned and crushed into what is known as cullet. Before recycled glass is melted, contaminants must be removed in the processing plant and include: • Burnt glass The Rewards of Recycling Not only an environmental obligation, one that will protect our heritage, glass recycling is linked to job creation and income generation; entrepreneurs can collect improperly disposed of glass containers in return for cash. This waste glass can be sold on to registered recycling companies or directly to Consol if the quantities are sufficient.

To deal directly with Consol, a collector must supply more than 10 tons of waste glass a month on a regular basis. Consol has two plants which receive, buy and process waste glass. If Consol has to collect outside of Gauteng or the Cape Peninsula, the minimum quantity is 30 tons; own deliveries are acceptable down to around five tons per delivery. Those who cannot supply the minimum quantities directly can sell to a local buy-back centre or recycler who buys from the public.Anyone can collect and sell waste glass. No capital outlay or formal qualifications are necessary to collect glass, but hard work, good organisation and perseverance are mandatory requirements. Collaboration for a Cause Consol is an active member on the board of The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC) which was established through a partnership between national government, glass manufacturers, fillers and recyclers. This national organisation, which is endorsed by the Department of Environmental Affairs, is responsible for promoting and facilitating the recovery of waste glass for recycling. To this end, the not for profit company educates communities about the importance of protecting the environment through recycling, and provides infrastructure and equipment to qualifying collectors.

TGRC does not buy waste glass; this is a function of the glass bottle Manufacturers Fast Facts What Can I Recycle | Waste Management What Can I Recycle? Where Can I Recycle? What Can I Recycle? Through advances in recycling technology, you have more options than ever. And it's a good thing because we need to conserve as much of our resources as possible. Metals BATTERIES/BULBS ELECTRONICS Do you think of your empty soda cans and food cans as a natural resource? They are. Americans currently discard about 2.7 million tons of aluminum each year. Of that, about 50 percent is recycled. Apart from the economic impact, the environmental savings of recycling metal are enormous. Recycling steel and tin cans, for example, saves 74% of the energy used to produce them. Aluminum Cans On average, Americans drink one beverage from an aluminum can every day.But we recycle just over 49% of the cans we use. Since the cans are 100% recyclable, we could drastically reduce the energy needed to produce brand new cans simply by recycling our empties.

An aluminum can is able to be returned to the shelf, as a new can, as quickly as 60 days after it's put into your recycling container. Coast-to-coast, there are about 10,000 locations that buy aluminum, making it easy for Americans to redeem their used beverage cans for cash. In fact, recycling aluminum cans is a $1 billion/year industry in this country. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours. A Day in the Life of a Recycled Can Customer takes can to a recycling center or puts it into a recycling bin. The can is transported to a processing facility. A giant magnet lifts out cans that are made of metals such steel. Since aluminum cans aren't magnetic, they drop down to a conveyor belt and are gathered. The aluminum is shredded, washed and turned into aluminum chips. The chips are melted in a large furnace. The melted aluminum is poured into molds called "ingots." The ingots are taken to a factory where they're melted into rolls of thin, flat sheets. From the sheets, manufacturers make new products, including new beverage cans, pie pans, license plate frames, and aluminum foil.

Beverage companies fill the cans and deliver them to grocery stores for customers to purchase. Customers take used cans to a recycling center and the process starts all over again. Aluminum Foil and Bakeware During World War II, Americans saved aluminum foil and even peeled off the silver wrapping from chewing gum wrappers to contribute to the war effort. Today, we recycle the foil to conserve energy and protect the environment - two other patriotic causes. There are thousands of products made from aluminum. From food wrap to disposable cookware, to the disposable burner bibs you use to keep your stovetop clean, the list goes on and on. Aluminum can be recycled almost infinitely. The process involves simply re-melting the metal, a process far less costly and energy-intensive than mining the minerals necessary to create new aluminum. For example, Americans discarded 460,000 tons of foil in 2010. However, Americans are far more likely to recycle aluminum soda cans than aluminum foil. Household Hints Unlike aluminum cans, foil may have food particles attached, making it harder for recycling facilities to accept. But foil is easy to wipe clean.

So reuse it as much as you can, and clean it off before putting it in the recycling bin. Consider buying 100% recycled aluminum foil. You'll be supporting a process that uses five percent less energy than the traditional aluminum foil manufacturing process. Steel Cans and Tin Cans (soup cans, veggie cans, coffee cans, etc.) Most people call them "tin cans," but the containers your green beans come in are mostly made of steel. The term "tin" comes from the fact that these cans have a micro-thin coating of tin inside, to protect the flavor and prevent the can from corroding. How can you tell a steel or tin can from an aluminum one? See if a magnet attaches to it. Steel is magnetic, and aluminum is not. Steel cans make up about 90% of the U.S. food can market. Americans use about 100 million steel cans every day. That's 36.5 billion cans a year. About 71% of steel cans are recycled, making them one of the most recycled packaging products in America. In addition, steel cans typically contain at least 25% recycled steel, but many are made almost entirely of recycled steel.

Where does this recycled steel come from? Mainly from scrap metal. Recycling steel saves at least 75% of the energy it would take to create steel from raw materials. That's enough energy to power 18 million homes. During the recycling process, steel cans (in bales or loose) are fed into the furnaces of a steel mill or foundry. They may be mixed with new steel. Some of the new "mini" steel mills manufacture their products from 100% recycled steel. Steel, tin, and the California Gold Rush. When you think of the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, your first thought may not be of canned goods. But it was the need to supply the gold miners with fruit, meat, and vegetables that gave rise to the demand for canned foods. By the start of the Civil War, around 30 million cans were being produced annually in the United States. Most of us use a paper product every day. That's because paper products make up about 71 million tons (or 29 percent) of the municipal waste stream, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The good news is that more and more Americans are recycling paper.

In fact, upwards of 63 percent (45 million tons) is recycled annually. When you break that number down by population, roughly 334 pounds of paper is recycled for every person in the United States. Corrugated Cardboard Currently, about 70 percent of cardboard-boxes shipped commercially are recovered for recycling. Many of the boxes are themselves made of recycled materials or lumber industry byproducts like sawdust and wood chips. When recycled, cardboard is used to make chipboard like cereal boxes, paperboard, paper towels, tissues and printing or writing paper. It's also made into more corrugated cardboard. How It's Recycled: The cardboard is re-pulped and the fibers are separated and bleached. This is a chemical process involving hydrogen peroxide, sodium silicate, and sodium hydroxide. The fibers are screened and cleaned to eliminate contaminants. The fibers are washed to remove leftover ink. Fibers are pressed and rolled into paper. he rolls of paper are then converted into boxes or made into new products. Magazines Magazines are made from paper that's been buffed and coated to achieve a glossy appearance. Next, the paper is covered with a white clay that makes color photographs look more brilliant.

The shiny appearance does not contaminate the paper at all. About 45 percent of sub-content-3 are being recycled today. About 45 percent of magazines are being recycled today. Recycled magazines are used to make newspaper, tissues, writing paper and paperboard. Recycling just one ton of paper saves enough energy to power the average American home for six months, so don't be afraid to recycle your old magazines. It's the right thing to do. A Common Misconception Some consumers think glossy paper can't be recycled. That may have been true in the early days of recycling, but no longer. With today's recycling technology, nearly all community recycling programs accept glossy magazines and catalogs for recycling. Office Paper Just over 45% of office paper is recovered for recycling today. High-grade papers, such as white computer paper, bond, and letterhead, can be turned back into office paper if it's kept separate from other waste paper. It can also be used to produce tissue paper, paperboard, stationery, magazines and other paper products. Lower-grade papers, such as newsprint, colored paper, file stock and ground wood papers, are made into cardboard, tissues, newspaper and toilet paper.

Office Tip If your company generates a large amount of waste paper, consider talking to your local recycling company about whether or not you should sort high-grade papers from lower-grade. Newspapers More than 73% of all newspapers in the United States are collected and recycled. The average newspaper today is made of a high amount of recycled fiber. Twenty years ago, newsprint contained only about 10% recycled fiber. Recycled newspapers can be made into cereal boxes, egg cartons, pencil barrels, grocery bags, tissue paper and many other products, including new newspapers. Newspaper is a fine insulator. Using recycled newspapers to produce cellulose insulation is widespread. Newspapers, Wilderness Restoration and Roadside Planting Every year natural disasters destroy countless acres of wilderness. The United States Forest Service uses "hydro-mulching," also called "hydro-seeding," to help restore damaged areas. It's a planting process that's been practiced in the United States since the 1950s - and it all starts with newspapers.

Recycled newspapers are made into a fiber mulch and mixed with grass seed, fertilizer, green dye, and water to create a "slurry" that can be pumped over broad areas by pressure sprayers, airplanes or helicopters. This process is called "hydro-mulching." It stabilizes roadside dirt for erosion control and is used to reseed grass over broad areas. Highway departments also use it to beautify roadsides by planting wildflower, tree, and shrub seeds. Paperboard Once used mainly for products such as breakfast cereal boxes, paperboard is now being used for many other kinds of packaging. Recycled paperboard is made from 100 percent recovered fiber, which may include newspaper, magazines, corrugated boxboard, paperboard folding cartons, and telephone books. One side of the recycled paperboard is usually gray in color. Like glossy magazines, recycled paperboard often includes a coating to improve its printing surface and provide protection from fingerprints. It's still perfectly recyclable. There are more than 80 recycled-paper mills in North America. Recycle Clean Paperboard Be sure the paperboard you have is clean and free of food waste. Then recycle it.

Paper Cardboard Dairy and Juice Cartons Also called "gable-top cartons,"these are the non-plastic milk and juice cartons you see in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Known in the industry as "poly-coated paperboard containers," the cartons are made of about 80% high-quality paper fiber, a renewable resource, and 20% polyethylene, a type of plastic that keeps the paper from getting wet. America consumes enormous quantities of milk and juice, requiring tremendous outlays of energy to produce, ship and landfill the cartons. Only a fraction of these are recycled. Waste Management, Tropicana Products, Dean Foods and select carton manufacturers have launched a program in which residents can recycle these containers in regular recycling bins at no additional charge. This program began in Florida and has been expanded to communities across the country. After Pick-Up, What Happens? Poly-coated paperboard containers undergo a process known as "hydro-pulping." Bales of containers are first reduced to pulp, which separates the polyethylene from the paper fiber. The fiber is used to make other paper products such as tissue and paper towels.

The polyethylene is used in furniture, to generate energy, or reduced even further into paraffin, which "blends" the cartons so the non-paper and paper layers separate. The recovered paper fibers can be recycled into items such as tissue and paper towels. Sometimes dairy and juice cartons are recycled as "mixed paper," a process that does not use hydro-pulping but instead follows the regular paper-making process. Unsolictied Direct Mail You may think of it as "junk mail," or you may welcome the flyers, catalogs, and coupons that appear in your mailbox. Either way, it's important to recycle them. "Mixed paper" is the term used to define the many kinds of paper products that can be collected and recycled from our daily mail. While Americans are recycling more paper each year, our recycle rate for direct mail remains low. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, direct mail accounts for 2.4 percent (by weight) of the total municipal solid waste generated in this country each year. According to the U.S. Postal Service 2005 Household Diary Study, 85% of U.S. households usually read some or all of the advertising mail they receive.

Many advertisers are now placing a "Recycle Please" reminder on the direct mail pieces they create. Phone Books Every year, new phone books and business directories arrive at your door. Are you careful to recycle your old ones? The pages in a phone book are 100% recyclable and are often used to make new phone books. There are enough phone books created each year to measure 106,700 miles when lined up end to end. This means they would circle around the earth about 4.28 times! By recycling just 500 books, we could save between 17 and 31 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, 587 pounds of air pollution, 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space and 4,077 kilowatt hours of energy according to the American Forest & Paper Association. In many places, you can simply drop the phone book into your recycling bin and leave it curbside for pickup. Call your municipality for more information.

Most glass bottles and jars produced in the United States now contain at least 27% recycled glass - which also saves on energy to produce glass made from new materials. Some glass cannot be made into other products, or doing so is not economically feasible. If your local recycler doesn’t participate in glass recycling, it’s due to the market for that glass being very small or non-existent. However, if glass recycling is available, it’s important to keep in mind as you recycle that even small amounts of some materials mixed in can contaminate entire loads. Find out more about the types of glass and how they are recycled below. Clear (Flint) Glass About 61% of glass containers produced in this country are clear. Clear glass is made of a combination of silica (sand), soda ash, and limestone. Marketing professionals often prefer clear glass containers because they make the product inside visible. However, clear glass may cause some products to degrade because of light exposure. That's why about 39% of the glass produced is colored. Clear glass is sometimes used for beverages. More often, it's used to package solids or thick liquids, such as pasta sauce, that may not be sensitive to light.

Brown (Amber) Glass About 31% of glass containers produced in this country are brown in color. To produce brown glass, the manufacturer adds nickel, sulfur and carbon to molten glass. The "brown" in the glass cannot be removed. Thus, brown bottles can be used only to make other brown bottles. Brown glass protects the container's contents from direct sunlight, thus preserving freshness and flavor. It is the most common color used for beer bottles. Green (Emerald) Glass About 7% of glass containers produced in this country are green in color. To produce green glass, the manufacturer adds iron, chromium or copper to molten glass. Green glass comes in a variety of shades. The "green" cannot be removed. Thus, green bottles can be used only to make other green bottles. Green glass helps keep sunlight and temperature from affecting the contents, which explains why it is often used in the manufacture of wine bottles. More About Recycling Glass Some curbside programs and recycling centers take only certain colors of glass. That's because manufacturers who buy the glass have to maintain the integrity of the color when producing new glass. How Is Glass Recycled?

The glass is taken to a manufacturing or recycling plant where it is broken up into smaller pieces known as "cullet." The cullet is crushed, sorted, cleaned, and prepared to be mixed with other raw materials. When glass is produced from virgin materials, it requires high temperatures to melt and combine all the ingredients. Since cullet melts at a lower temperature, the more of it you add to a batch of raw materials, the less energy needed to melt it. Ceramics such as coffee cups and plates present a problem in the glass-making process because they can weaken the glass. Even a small amount of ceramics can contaminate a whole batch of glass and cost the glassmaker millions of dollars. What Not To Recycle Not all glass can be recycled. The following items should not be placed into your recycling bin: Any glass contaminated with stones, dirt, and food waste Ceramics, such as dishware, ovenware, and decorative items. Heat-resistant glass, such as Pyrex. Mixed colors of broken glass. Mirror or window glass. Metal or plastic caps and lids. Crystal. Light bulbs: Find out how to recycle here. Cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) found in some televisions and computer monitors. Find out how to recycle here.

Did you know that every year we produce enough plastic film in this country to shrink-wrap Texas? Or that although Americans recycle more than 2.4 billion pounds of plastic each year, it only makes up around 27 percent of the waste stream? While plastic offers the advantages of being flexible and lightweight, it also consumes fossil resources for its manufacture and contributes waste in our environment. Make Sure It's Clean! Does that plastic lunch container still have yesterday's pizza in it? Don't recycle it until it's clean! One dirty product, or one with food waste still in it, can contaminate an entire bale, containing thousands of pounds of collected plastics. This can cause thousands of recyclable items to go to a landfill instead of being recycled. Cleanliness is essential. What's Accepted? Plastics come in a variety of shapes, colors and chemical formulations - all with different recycling needs. The code number does not mean the plastic can be recycled. It is simply a way to identify the resin, or plastic type. How can you tell what kinds of plastic to put into your recycling bin? The code number on the bottom of your product is not a reliable indicator of whether something can get recycled. Recycle by shape!

Bottles, jars, and jugs – is the best way to know what is accepted. Learn About Recycling Plastics Remember to keep dirty containers out of your recycling bin. One partially empty soda bottle in a bale of plastic can spoil the whole load. Plastic grocery and produce sacks are commonly placed in recycle bins. These bags can shut down an entire recycling plant and should be kept out of our recycling bin. Plastic bags are often collected in barrels at grocery stores, and usually end up as plastic lumber. PET plastic is the most common material used for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight, unbreakable and easy to recycle. It takes more than 1.5 million barrels of oil to produce a year's supply of water bottles. That's enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars for a year. American households are full of items we should recycle, even if we can't put them into our recycle bins. Car batteries, products that use household batteries, incandescent light bulbs, and new CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) are some of them. In the United States, a CFL can save over $30 in electricity costs over the lamp's lifetime compared to an incandescent lamp.

However, CFLs contain mercury, which can be harmful to humans and the environment if not disposed of properly Car Batteries Car batteries are the most recycled product in America. Automotive batteries are also known as lead-acid batteries. A typical car battery is made of 60% lead, nearly all of which can be recycled. Most of it is reused over and over again in new batteries. Your battery probably contains about three pounds of plastic, which can be reclaimed to create new batteries and other products. The sulfuric acid can be recycled and used in new batteries. It can also be converted to sodium sulfate to create fertilizer, dyes and other products. It can even be neutralized, purified, tested, and eventually released as clean water. Many automotive retailers will take back batteries. You can contact your local municipality to find out where to recycle lead-acid batteries. Household and Button Batteries If you're using more than about a dozen disposable batteries in a year, you could save money by switching to rechargeables. If you still have old batteries on hand that may have been manufactured before 1997, it's likely they contain mercury. Contact your municipality for information on how to safely recycle them or go here.

Button batteries often contain silver, zinc, or other toxins and should be recycled. Check with your municipality or go here. Rechargeable Batteries Hundreds of products - everything from laptops, PDAs, hair dryers, and cordless tools - are powered by rechargeable batteries. Batteries are usually either nickel-cadmium (nicad), lithium ion, or nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH). All should be recycled to reclaim valuable compounds and to keep toxins out of the environment. To learn more, visit ThinkGreenFromHome.com Incandescent and LED One of the simplest ways to conserve electricity is to choose energy-efficient lighting options. Incandescent bulbs are inefficient, because the light they produce is simply a by-product of the heat they generate. A 60-watt incandescent bulb generates the same amount of light as a 15-watt fluorescent. Another lighting option is the light-emitting diode lamp (LED), which uses a series of tiny electronic light bulbs that, when placed next to each other, emit as much or much more light than a similar-size standard light bulb.

The LED does not burn out all at once, and it uses only a fraction of the electricity of an incandescent Incandescent light bulbs will be phased out of the U.S. market beginning in 2012 under an energy law approved by Congress. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs More and more Americans are saving on energy bills by using CFL bulbs instead of incandescents. But what should you do with the bulbs after they burn out? CFL bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. If the CFL bulb breaks before it's properly recycled, people can be exposed to this harmful metal. Some states, cities and counties have outlawed putting CFL bulbs in the trash. A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Agency says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That's because they use less electricity - and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air. According to the federal government, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star-approved CFL, the United States would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

Recycling programs at the stores that sell CFLs are still relatively uncommon, although that is gradually changing. The EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. To recycle your CFLs, contact your municipal solid waste agency directly or visit ThinkGreenFromHome.com. Additional reference. Electronics that are obsolete, broken, and destined for recycling or disposal are sometimes called "e waste." There are many chemical and mineral elements in e waste. A circuit board contains copper, gold, silver, platinum and palladium, as well as lead. If recycled properly, this waste is a valuable source of secondary raw materials. Environmental Stewardship Waste Management is committed to providing environmentally responsible solutions for handling electronics waste. Waste Management is committed to: preventing e waste from entering municipal incinerators or landfills; preventing the export of e waste to developing countries; providing visible tracking of e waste throughout the product recycling chain. This is but a continuation of the E-Steward's Pledge, which we continue to operate by today. By announcing that pledge, Waste Management committed to a set of accepted practices that helps protect the environment, as well as workers' health and safety, during the handling of e-waste.

This also gives the ability to third parties to monitor our activity, offering greater transparency in the fast-growing electronics recycling sector. Computers (CPUs, monitors, peripherals, keyboards) Every day in the United States, we throw out about 130,000 computers. What can you do when you no longer need yours? Computers should never be dumped into a landfill. They are a valuable resource. Computers contain a variety of recyclable material, including plastic, metal, and glass. In fact, nearly 100% of a computer is capable of being recycled. When recycling electronics, make sure you're working with a reputable recycler such as Waste Management, who operates with integrity and transparency. Ask questions: What do you do with the equipment? Where do you send parts to be recovered? Where are the CRTs, metals, and plastics sent? Who handles the data destruction? Is the hard drive wiped clean of information? Is documentation of this provided? Can you give me information so I can delete all data and personal information myself? Peripherals can also be recycled. These include keyboards, cables, mice, computer speakers, printers, scanners, floppy drives, optical media and external hard drives. Certain retailers and manufacturers offer electronics recycling programs.

Click Here for more info. Office Equipment (photocopiers, printers, fax machines) Upgrading your office? Be sure to recycle your obsolete equipment. By donating or recycling these products, Americans can lessen pollution, save resources, and reduce the energy needed to manufacture new products. Printers have become so inexpensive that many people think of them as disposable. However, recyclers can dismantle the old equipment to reclaim the base materials which, in turn, become the raw material needed to produce new products. Printer cartridges do not belong in landfills. Certain kinds of toner dust contain hazardous materials, as do inks used in inkjet printers. Televisions As you make the transition to digital television, what should you do with your old analog TV? Most TVs work with either a digital or analog signal. If you do not have cable or satellite service, you will need a converter box that you can purchase at most electronics stores to receive the digital signal. Many municipalities do not allow TV sets to be discarded into landfills. Older television sets contain up to eight pounds each of lead. Lead was originally used to protect viewers from radiation. The U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 82 percent of televisions (20.6 million units) were disposed of between 2006 and 2007 - and that occurred primarily in landfills. This means only 18%, or about 6.3 million sets, were recycled. Certain retailers and manufacturers, including LG and Sony, offer TV recycling programs. Click Here for more info. The Electronic Industries Alliance provides a list of non-profit organizations that accept used, working TVs. Check with your local municipality to see if there are special disposal days or drop-off locations for used electronics. Consumer Electronics (VCRs, stereos, home/office phones) Is your VCR collecting dust in the closet? Is there a second life for that old stereo? Broken or obsolete equipment can be disassembled and the scrap value of various components reclaimed. Printed circuit boards and wiring may contain recoverable quantities of precious metals and base metals. Frames and cases may contain recyclable steel or plastic. MP3 players contain toxic substances, such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Most materials in DVD players - from the circuit boards to the plastics - can be recycled to make new components.

The consumer electronics category also includes audio equipment, calculators, recording devices, and digital clocks. States may define consumer electronics differently, so check with your state for specific information. If you can't find a place that will refurbish your product for reuse, check with your local municipality to find out e waste pick-up days or drop-off locations. Cell phones Every year, Americans buy more than 100 million cell phones, yet fewer than 20% of old cell phones are recycled. Discarded phones represent about 65,000 tons of electronic garbage every year. Simply by recycling the phones, customers could save enough energy to power more than 194,000 homes for an entire year. Cell phones are made from copper, other valuable metals, and plastics - all of which require energy to extract and manufacture. Recycling cell phones helps recover these valuable resources and saves energy. Recycling just a million cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions equal to removing 1,368 cars off the road for a full year. Contact your local municipality to find out about e waste collection days and drop-off locations. Unacceptable E-Waste The following items are not commonly recycled through e waste recycling programs.

They are usually recycled through other programs. Contact your local municipality to find out how to properly dispose of them: Microwaves Glass Recycling Facts | Glass Packaging Institute Home > Recycling > Glass Recycling Facts Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity - something few food and beverage packaging options can claim. Glass Facts Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without loss in quality or purity. Glass is made from readily-available domestic materials, such as sand, soda ash, limestone and “cullet,” the industry term for furnace-ready recycled glass. The only material used in greater volumes than cullet is sand. These materials are mixed, or “batched,” heated to a temperature of 2600 to 2800 degrees Fahrenheit and molded into the desired shape. Recycled glass can be substituted for up to 95% of raw materials. Manufacturers benefit from recycling in several ways: Recycled glass reduces emissions and consumption of raw materials, extends the life of plant equipment, such as furnaces, and saves energy. Recycled glass containers are always needed because glass manufacturers require high-quality recycled container glass to meet market demands for new glass containers.

Recycled glass is always part of the recipe for glass, and the more that is used, the greater the decrease in energy used in the furnace. This makes using recycled glass profitable in the long run, lowering costs for glass container manufacturers—and benefiting the environment. Glass containers for food and beverages are 100% recyclable, but not with other types of glass. Other kinds of glass, like windows, ovenware, Pyrex, crystal, etc. are manufactured through a different process. If these materials are introduced into the glass container manufacturing process, they can cause production problems and defective containers. Furnace-ready cullet must also be free of contaminants such as metals, ceramics, gravel, stones, etc. Color sorting makes a difference, too. Glass manufacturers are limited in the amount of mixed color-cullet (called "3 mix") they can use to manufacture new containers. Separating recycled container glass by color allows the industry to ensure that new bottles match the color standards required by glass container customers. Some recycled glass containers are not able to be used in the manufacture of new glass bottles and jars or to make fiberglass. This may be because there is too much contamination or the recycled glass pieces are too small to meet manufacturing specifications.

Or, it may be that there is not a nearby market for bottle-to-bottle recycling. This recovered glass is then used for non-container glass products. These "secondary" uses for recycled container glass can include tile, filtration, sand blasting, concrete pavements and parking lots. The recycling approach that the industry favors is any recycling program that results in contaminant-free recycled glass. This helps ensure that these materials are recycled into new glass containers. While curbside collection of glass recyclables can generate high participation and large amounts of recyclables, drop-off and commercial collection programs tend to yield higher quality recovered container glass. Glass Recycling Statistics Glass bottles and jars are 100% recyclable and can be recycled endlessly without any loss in purity or quality. The container and fiberglass industries collectively purchase 3 million tons of recycled glass annually, which is remelted and repurposed for use in the production of new containers and fiberglass products. Over a ton of natural resources are saved for every ton of glass recycled. Energy costs drop about 2-3% for every 10% cullet used in the manufacturing process. One ton of carbon dioxide is reduced for every six tons of recycled container glass used in the manufacturing process.

There are 46 glass manufacturing plants operating in 22 states. 16 companies operate 51 glass beneficiating facilties (aka "glass processing" plants) in 27 states. At the glass processing plants, recycled glass is further cleaned and sorted to spec, then resold to the glass container manfuacturing companies for remelting into new food and beverage containers. In 2013, 41.3% of beer and soft drink bottles were recovered for recycling, according to the U.S. EPA. Another 34.5% of wine and liquor bottles and 15% of food and other glass jars were recycled. In total, 34% of all glass containers were recycled, equivalent to taking 210,000 cars off the road each year. States with container deposit legislation have an average glass container recycling rate of just over 63%, while non-deposit states only reach about 24%, according to the Container Recycling Institute. Beverage container deposit systems provide 11 to 38 times more direct jobs than curbside recycling systems for beverage containers.

(Source: The Container Recycling Institute, "Returning to Work: Understanding the Jobs Impacts from Different Methods of Recycling Beveage Containers"). About 18% of beverages are consumed on premise, like a bar, restaurant, or hotel. And glass makes up to about 80% of that container mix. In 2008, NC passed a law requiring all Alcohol Beverage Permit holders to recycle their beverage containers. Since then, they have boosted the amount of glass bottles recovered for recycling from about 45,000 tons/year before the ABC law to more than 86,000 tons in 2011. Glass bottles have been reduced in weight approximately 40% over the past 30 years. Recycled glass is substituted for up to 95% of raw materials. Manufacturers benefit from recycling in several ways—it reduces emissions and consumption of raw materials, extends the life of plant equipment, such as furnaces, and saves energy. An estimated 80% of all glass containers recovered for recycling are remelted in furnaces, and used in the manufacture of new glass containers. Source, Strategic Materials, Inc.

Recycling 1,000 tons of glass creates slightly over 8 jobs. (Source: 2011 Container Recycling Institute). Glass is Infinitely Recyclable - British Glass British Glass About Glass Glass is Infinitely Recyclable Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled an infinite number of times without loss of quality, strength and functionality. 'Downcycling' and landfill can be avoided - making container glass a valuable eco-friendly packaging material. In addition, for a glass manufacturer, the use of cullet (recycled glass) is extremely beneficial. Cullet is the technical term the industry uses for crushed glass and is a very important secondary raw material. Aside savings in virgin raw material consumption, around 2.5 - 3% in energy savings can be achieved for every 10% of cullet that replaces primary, 'virgin', raw materials, as no 'reaction energy' is needed to melt cullet. The increased use of cullet, replacing carbonates as well as other raw materials, also results in reduced CO2 emissions. The use of cullet leads to savings on both fuel and raw material costs - something the glass industry has known for some time.

However, using cullet also brings down CO2 emissions, as proved by a study carried out in the UK by Glass Technology Services Ltd (GTS) in collaboration with a group of leading manufacturers and The Carbon Trust. Interesting Facts about Recycling Glass Glass Respects Nature and You It's bad form to refuse a gift. Especially when it comes straight from Mother Nature. Look what she's given us: a splendid mix of 3 non-toxic, natural materials which add up to be the most environmentally friendly packaging. Glass has Class No other material matches the sheer beauty and craftsmanship that goes into producing glass. Glass Recycles your Way of Thinking Glass is unique. It is the only 100% recyclable packaging material. In fact, it can be recycled again and again. And again. With the result that less energy and natural resources are used. Which is good for all of us. Glass says “Cheers!” to your Health Glass is inert. That means your food never tastes like glass. Glass is in fact the only packaging material that doesn't need extra layers to protect your wine or beans from tasting like anything but wine and beans. If you like good food, the choice is clear as ... well, glass.

Glass has over 5,000 years of experience Archaeologists have found evidence of man-made glass dating back to 4,000BC in the form of coatings on stone beads. Around 1,500 BC the Egyptians made the ﬁrst glass bottles in a form we would recognise today. Closed-Loop Glass Recycling Saves Energy Making new glass from recycled glass uses much less energy than using raw materials. The energy saving from recycling just one bottle will power one of the following: A computer for 25 minutes. A colour TV for 20 minutes. A washing machine for 10 minutes. Every household in the UK uses on average 331 bottles and jars each year. If the average household recycled all their glass, enough energy would be saved to power one of the following activities: A computer for 5 days. A colour TV for nearly 4.5 days or 210 episodes of Coronation Street. A washing machine for 2.5 days. Closed-Loop Recycling Conserves the Environment Recycling your glass saves raw materials from being quarried and then thrown away in rubbish dumps as used bottles and jars.

This saves hundreds of thousands of tonnes of quarrying each year and conserves the countryside for everyone. It takes 1.2 tonnes of raw materials but only 1 tonne of cullet to make a tonne of glass. Glass Recycling Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions Every tonne of new bottles and jars made using recycled glass rather than raw materials prevents the emission of 670 kg (0.67 tonnes) of CO 2. Glass Recycling Cuts Waste Disposal Costs When waste is sent to a landﬁll site for disposal, local authorities must pay for each tonne. Recycling glass prevents it being sent to landﬁll and reduces the amount of money local authorities pay for this. Glass Recycling Increases Public Awareness of the Beneﬁt of Minimising Waste Everyone can help the environment by recycling their glass. Even a small change in behaviour has a measurable beneﬁt. Further Information British Glass is an active supporter of the Friends of Glass Campaign Friends of Glass is a consumer group created by the European glass container industry that supports and promotes the right for consumers to be able to choose food and drink products in glass packaging. It unites all those who believe glass is the clear choice for themselves, their families and for the environment.

For further information, please visit .

British Glass represents the interests of primary glass manufacturers and the glass supply-chain, from raw materials to retail and the end-consumer" credits="n/a" > Modern life would not be possible without glass But, what is this amazing substance, where does it come from and how is it made?" credits="n/a" > Find a reputable supplier from our member directory" credits="n/a" > Learn about the different methods of manufacturing glass in our information section" credits="n/a" > Did you know that Glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled an infinite number of times without loss of quality, strength or functionality?" credits="n/a" > We provide relevant, impartial, and comprehensive advice and information - from leading experts across key legislative areas" credits="n/a" > British Glass represents the interests of primary glass manufacturers and the glass supply-chain, from raw materials to retail and the end-consumer" credits="n/a" > Learn about the amazing material glass" credits="n/a" > British Glass represents the interests of primary glass manufacturers and the glass supply-chain, from raw materials to retail and the end-consumer" credits="n/a" > Our enviromental section goes into more depth on the environmental and energy issues affecting the

 glass supply chain" credits="n/a" > In this Section Cullet silo – level measurement, point level detection | VEGA Level measurement and point level detection in the crushed glass, or cullet, silo Application Glass is made of quartz sand, lime and soda, which are melted together at extremely high temperatures up to 1600 °C.

This melting process is very energy intensive and for that reason, more easily melted waste glass is also often added into the mix. After delivery, the waste glass is first crushed and freed from impurities. The material, known as cullet, is then transported and filled into a silo, where it is fed to the melting process. To ensure a continuous supply of material to the furnace, a reliable level measurement in the cullet silo is required. Process data

Question: Which material when crushed for recycling is known as “cullet”?
Answer: Glass