Recycling

One of the most sustainable benefits of glass is its endless life cycle. With over 27 million metric tons of glass recycled annually, glass can be reused an infinite number of times. This means that each glass item you come in contact with was created from not only raw materials like sand and soda ash, but also existing glass pieces made before it. Recycled glass is used in manufacturing to help lower melting temperature of batch materials and reduce the amount of energy consumed during the process. This, in turn, helps reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing process.  

With the possibility to recycle glass endlessly without loss in quality or purity, there’s a reason glass is included in the top three most recycled household materials.

Material Properties

Glass is a durable, inert material that is ideal for food and beverage packaging. Its nonporous and impermeable qualities not only prevent contamination of package contents from outside factors, but also allow for reuse without lingering taste or smell of previously stored products. These properties are also beneficial in building and automotive applications. As one of few transparent building materials, glass is used as a main component in the weatherproofing of structures while allowing building occupants to maintain a connection to the outdoors.

Glass is a resilient material that provides health, safety, and aesthetic benefits.

Diverse Applicability

Whether discussing containers, construction or technology, glass has provided countless contributions towards a sustainable future. It is used in photovoltaic solar cells for energy generation. It provides occupant thermal comfort while reducing carbon emissions from building operation. It is used to reduce weight and fuel consumption of transportation vehicles. And once you think it has reached its end of life, it is recycled and ready to function again.