Facts About Recycling Glass
1. Most glass bottles and jars contain about 25% recycled glass.
2. Like aluminum and steel, glass can be recycled indefinitely.
3. States which have enacted bottle deposit laws typically have about 40% less litter by volume.
4. Recyling glass saves about 25% of the energy required to produce glass from virgin materials.
5. For every ton of glass produced from raw materials 12.6kg (~28 lbs) of air pollution is released into the atmosphere.
6. Glass can be recycled into an asphalt substite called glassphalt.
7. Glass can also be recycled into sand for beaches suffering from erosion.
8. Glass makes up about 8% of all household garbage.
9. Although there is no shortage of raw materials for glass these materials must be quarried from our landscape. This process defaces the landscape, wastes energy, and pollutes the environment.
10. The glass typically used in glassphalt is from windows, Pyrex, mirrors, and crystal. These have a higher melting point and can ruin a batch of recycled bottle glass.
11. Most glass in the United States, about 75%, is used for packaging.
12. Glass that is meant for recycling is crushed so that it takes up less space. The crushed glass is referred to as cullet.
Sources
The information on this page has been compiled from various sources including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Worldwatch Institute, the American Forest and Paper Association, and the National Recycling Coalition.
