After using a glass bottle, what do you think should be done to an empty glass bottle? Of course, throwing it anywhere will spoil our earth. Is it not a good idea to recycle it? No doubt it is. Recycling a glass bottle not only reduces pollution but also saves natural resources. But the question arises: how to recycle glass bottles?
This question can confuse an individual who is running a glass bottle business. Recycling glass material is very beneficial. However, people throw bottles away instead of collecting them due to a lack of knowledge about recycling. This guide will provide the step-by-step process of recycling glass bottles. So, let’s dive in!
Importance of Recycling Glass Bottles
Recycling glass bottles is primarily beneficial in two ways. First, it offers inexpensive raw materials for the production of new products. Moreover, it reduces the amount of garbage and waste on our earth. Without recycling, those glass bottles would contaminate our beautiful world.
It’s our responsibility to save our earth from garbage. Throwing bottles away is criminal behavior. Collecting them in the waste bin is the right approach. If we throw bottles away, they will affect our environment. Moreover, it would take new raw materials to produce new glass bottles.
Recycling helps save raw materials for new production and conserve resources and energy. The process of glass recycling starts with the collection of glass bottles. If you run a glass bottle business, you will have tons of bottles left by the customers. You only need to collect those and send them to cycling centers.
Producing new glass bottles from the cullet takes 40% less energy. Simply put, recycling provides cheap raw materials that require less energy for processing. We use tons of bottles each day. If we don’t recycle them, their high quantity makes our earth unlivable. In short, recycling is critical for the sustainability of your earth.
Step-by-Step Process of Recycling of Glass Bottles
Caught the drift of why recycling glass bottles is essential? Let’s now explore different steps for recycling glass bottles. Keep in mind that the recycling process includes multiple steps.
1- Collection & Sorting of Bottles
The recycling process starts with the collection of glass bottles. Imagine you are a layman and want to contribute to the recycling of bottles. In such cases, you must collect the bottles people have thrown away. However, if you run a business selling bottles, you don’t need to find those.
Instead, keep collecting bottles when customers use them in your shop. You might have a small factory dedicated to manufacturing glass bottles. As such, you should not throw away the low-quality bottles that are not approved for sale. Instead, make a collection. Do you know that glass bottles can have different colors?
Those colors are due to additives and other chemical compositions. If you mix all color bottles during recycling, the recycled product will be low-quality. The reason is that different compositions of colored bottles will lead to impurities that make the end product low quality. So, you should sort bottles on their color basis, and collect them in different bins.
2- Cleaning and Purification
Cleaning and purification are vital before recycling, as they help reduce contamination. Cleaning also enhances the purity of the glass. If you recycle contaminated bottles, the recycled product will be low-quality, and vice versa. As you know, glass bottles generally contain liquor. People throw bottles when they have some liquor.
So, when you collect the bottles, rinse and clean them. If you don’t clean the bottle, the leftover liquor will contaminate it. Small leftovers will be processed during the recycling process. As a result, they will affect the quality of the recycled product. The earlier cleaning should remove all the contaminants from the bottles.
Some modern recycling companies are equipped with specialized detecting systems. If the bottles have some leftover impurities, their sensor detects it. So, the worker keeps the contaminated bottles out of the recycling process. They add them later after their proper cleaning.
3- Crushing and Cullet Formation
After cleaning glass bottles, they are sent to the crushing machine. These machines are mighty and have high tonnage. They apply brutal force and break the bottles. This breaking is so intense the bottles change into pieces. Cullet is another name for these small pieces or particles.
These Cullets are used as raw material to produce the new product. If the bottles are pure and clean, the cullet will only contain pieces without impurities. However, this cullet would also be impure if the bottles had some impurities. To achieve high-quality recycled products, ensure that the cullet has no impurities.
Quick Tip: Using a cullet as a raw material reduces the need for energy during recycling. Preparing glass products with a cullet takes 40% less energy.
4- Melting at High Temperature
As I said, cullets are raw materials and play a key role in producing new products. However, they are generally mixed with some traditional raw materials, including sand, limestone, and soda ash. After a combination of these materials, the melting process begins.
The mixture of cullet and other raw materials undergoes heating at around 1700 degrees Celsius. This temperature is very high and easily melts the raw material. As a result, the cullet and other raw materials change into molten form. This molten material is useful in making new glass products.
5- Forming New Products
We have reached the final step, where the recycled product comes into existence. Different types of molds are made according to the product’s design. Once designs are made, the manufacturers fill molten material in these molds. Remember, various machines are available to quickly fill these molds.
After the molten materials are filled, they are allowed to cool and solidify. As a result, they adopt the shape of the product. The shape of molds defines what kind of product will be made. Generally, the recycling of glass bottles produces jars, jugs, cups, and so on. These recycled products use less energy during their production.
Quick Summary: Pre-made, used, and thrown bottles undergo the whole process and make the entire product. In a nutshell, those used bottles don’t add waste; they are used as raw material.
Essential Tips to Consider Before Recycling Glass Bottles
In the section above, I have broken down the process of cycling. However, there are a few things that you must avoid. If you don’t heed them, they will affect the effectiveness of the recycling process. Here is their list:
- Only three colored bottles are recyclable: clear, brown, and green. Never mix those bottle colors during recycling. The reason is that bottles with different colors have different chemical compositions. So, they would affect the quality of the end product due to the mixing of different chemicals.
- Ceramics consist of sand or clay. A bottle made with ceramic material cannot be recycled, so you should not try it. This material is solid; breaking it into pieces is difficult for machines. Only use bottles made with glass.
- Some heat-resistant glass bottles are available in the market. Their heat-resistant glass means they will not melt at the average temperature. Such glasses are useful for cooking appliances. Due to their high-temperature demand for melting, it would be best not to recycle such glass bottles. If you recycle such heat-resistant glass, the recycling process will be very costly.
How to Find Recyclers Who Accept Glass Recycling?
Many people wonder if they can recycle glass bottles at home. The answer is NO. Recycling glass bottles is a complex process that requires machines to break the glass into smaller pieces. Do you have those machines? I bet you don’t!
So, the best way is to find someone who can help with this process. Here are some ways to get recyclers:
- Local Recycling Centers: Almost every city has local recycling centers. If one is near you, then you are lucky. Just pack the glass bottles and send them to the recycling centers. Are these local recycling centers far away from you? Just call them and inform them about your glass collection and location. They will come to you to collect the bottles.
- Municipal Services: Municipal committees are available in almost every city and town. Are they not? The municipal service has particular garbage bins with labels to put glass bottles. Moreover, they have special days for collecting materials to recycle. You can contact them to recycle your bottles and repurpose them effectively.
- Retail Take-Back Programs: Some retail shops collect used bottles. In return, they pay you a cent for every bottle you submit. It is an excellent way to attract people and encourage them to recycle more bottles. You should visit them if you have bulk bottles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to do with empty glass bottles?
If you have empty glass bottles, the best thing to do is recycle them. You cannot recycle independently but collect and send them to the local recycling centers. These centers will help save the earth from garbage and waste.
How do you know if a glass bottle is recyclable?
Glass bottles are typically recyclable. A simple tip is that any bottle that carries food or liquor for humans is recyclable. This technique is simple and helps you determine the recyclability of bottles.
Can we repurpose a glass bottle?
Yes, it is possible to repurpose glass bottles if you want to avoid recycling them. There are many DIY creative ideas that you can try with them. Many people use different-colored bottles to decorate their homes.
Where to take glass for recycling?
Recycling of the glass is done on various platforms. You can send collected bottles to the local recycling centers. They have all the required machines to recycle bottles and other glass products.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, recycling of glass bottles is a savior for our earth. Tons of bottles are opened and used daily. Imagine there was no recycling concept. Those bottles would have made our planet unlivable. However, with this method, these thrown bottles do not go into the waste.
The recycling of bottles offers cheap raw materials for producing new products. However, many people need to learn the recycling process of glass bottles. This guide will give you simple steps to complete the recycling work. But can you do it at home? No, you must either have a recycling machine or get the help of local recycling centers.
