Glass recycling

Glass recycling is the collection and processing of discarded glass for reuse, usually by crushing it into cullet and remelting it into new products.

Cullet: Cullet is crushed or broken waste glass prepared as a raw material for glassmaking. It is the main intermediate between collected glass containers and remelting.
Container glass: Container glass is glass manufactured for bottles, jars, and other packaging. Bottles and jars are common feedstock for closed-loop glass recycling.
Glass reuse: Glass reuse extends a product's life by using it again without reprocessing its material. Refilling a bottle avoids remelting, while recycling breaks and melts the glass.
Life-cycle assessment: Life-cycle assessment evaluates environmental impacts across a product's stages, from material extraction to disposal. It compares recycling's energy and emissions with making glass from virgin materials.
Glass sorting: Glass sorting separates discarded glass by color, composition, and suitability for processing. Separating colors and removing non-glass items helps produce usable cullet.
Glassphalt: Glassphalt is asphalt pavement made with some crushed waste glass replacing conventional aggregate. It is one use for recovered glass that is unsuitable for remelting into containers.
Landfill: A landfill is an engineered site where waste is disposed of in layers and contained. Landfilling discards glass rather than recovering its material.
Embodied energy: Embodied energy is the energy used to produce, transport, and process a material or product. Using cullet can reduce the energy required to make glass from raw ingredients.
Optical sorting: Optical sorting uses sensors and automated equipment to identify and separate materials. Facilities use optical systems to remove contaminants and distinguish glass colors.
Glass wool: Glass wool is an insulating material made from fine fibers of molten glass. Some recycled glass is incorporated into insulation rather than new containers.

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