Disposing of used glass correctly – the foundation for high-quality glass recycling
Every day, millions of glass bottles and preserving jars are used, disposed of and recycled. But what actually happens to an empty bottle once it has been placed in the glass recycling bin? The journey from waste glass to new packaging is an impressive example of a circular economy in action. It demonstrates how valuable raw materials can be returned to the production cycle time and time again.
The recycling process begins as soon as the glass is disposed of. To ensure that waste glass can be recycled as effectively as possible, clear, amber and green glass should be collected separately. If there is no separate container for amber glass, it should be placed in the coloured glass container, where both green and amber glass are collected. This pre-sorting facilitates subsequent processing and helps to meet the glass industry’s high quality standards. Items such as ceramics, porcelain, earthenware or heat-resistant glass do not belong in the waste glass container. Such foreign materials can disrupt the recycling process and significantly impair the quality of the processed glass. Every bottle disposed of correctly therefore lays the foundation for successful container glass recycling.
From waste glass to high-quality glass cullet
Once collected, the waste glass is transported to one of our glass recycling sites. This is where the professional processing begins. Using modern processing and sorting technologies, the collected container glass is carefully processed to produce high-quality recycled raw materials for the glass industry. In a series of process steps, metals, plastics, ceramics, stones and other contaminants are reliably removed. At the same time, precise colour sorting takes place, resulting in high-quality glass cullet in white, brown and green. The result is quality-assured glass cullet of high purity and with optimal material properties for further processing in glassworks.
The processed glass cullet is then delivered to glassworks, where it is melted down and turned into new bottles and glass containers. In doing so, it replaces a large proportion of the primary raw materials and makes an important contribution to conserving resources. What makes glass special is that it can be recycled time and time again with virtually no loss of quality. A used glass bottle is thus transformed once more into high-quality glass packaging – and the cycle begins anew.
