Some interesting notes discovered while researching glass as a product:
- Recycled glass melts at a lower point than virgin glass, therefore reducing energy required
- Glass takes 1 million years to break down naturally
- Glass is sorted into it's different colours for recycling by colour sensitive computrer recognition and then each bit is separated by air jets
- When recycling glass it is sorted into only three colours; clear, brown and gree. Blue glass cannot be recycled.
- If the glass is contaminated it can be used in road construction and sandblasting.
- Just one piece of non-reusable glass the size of a 20 cent piece from light bulbs, wine glasses, ceramic plates, mirrors or window glass can stop a whole tonne of glass bottles and jars from being recycled
- Australia consumes about 850,000 tonnes of glass a year but only 350,000 tonnes is recovered for recycling. That's around 1.4 billion bottles diverted away from landfill.
- Recycled glass can make up to 40% of total in a furnace and can be recycled infinite times.
- Broken drinking glasses, vases and leaded glasses cannot be used in closed loop glass recycling.
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