Glass Recycling Continues to Evolve

In early times the need to recycle came from the high-cost and trouble in extracting the basic materials. Glass, comprised mainly of easily accessible ingredients, is not as hard or expensive to produce as many goods are. It is actually more likely to be recycled because of the ease with which it is handled. 

Used for hundreds of years, glass is useful in making lenses, windows, heating components, lighting, and a variety of decorative objects. Easily melted down and remade into new products or new additions of the old product, recycled glass may be shaped, poured, or completely redesigned. 

In most cases, glass is one hundred percent recyclable. For instance, a glass bottle that is collection for recycling will be purchased for recycling to be remade into another glass bottle, often of the same type. Such ease of use arises from the relatively simple composition of the production material, the streamlined nature of the additives used to achieve certain qualities, and the relatively streamlined process of recycling glass for a host of industries. Concerned with saving money and resources early on, many companies invested in research and technology for better recycling techniques and a less expensive bottom line, and that means good things for the environment, communities that might otherwise be strewn with trash, and the sustainability of the companies choosing glass recycling over natural resource extraction.

One development that helps to make glass recycling so simple is the use of glass cullet. Most people have broken some glass item at some time or another. The great thing about glass is that even a shattered product is a candidate for recycling. Glass cullet, in fact, is glass that has been virtually demolished to create a recyclable base. The cullet is easily remelted to produce a wide variety of items. 

Another helpful development is the evolution of a variety of uses for aggregate produced from recycled glass. For instance, recycled glass aggregate is often used in the production of concrete. Aesthetically, this greatly improves the appeal of the concrete. Furthermore, the overall strength and insulative capabilities of the concrete are improved.

Glass aggregate also serves a variety of other utilitarian and constructive uses. Mixed of various colors and tumbled to remove edges, these attractive, inexpensive, and very useful aggregates facilitate many projects that might otherwise rely on extracted resources such as pea gravel or crushed rock. In many cases, aggregate is easier to transport as well. Lower extraction and transportation requirements help to reduce pollution as well. 

For more information on recycling Glass in San Jose, please visit this website.