Step 3

3. Glass Bottle Manufacturing

Glass bottles are made from readily-available domestic materials, including sand, soda ash, limestone and “cullet” – the industry term for furnace-ready recycled glass. Recycled glass, or cullet, can make up to 70 percent of the raw material mix for new glass containers. These materials are mixed, or “batched,” heated to a temperature of 2600 to 2800 degrees Fahrenheit and molded into the desired shape. Using recycled glass in the manufacture of new glass containers reduces emissions and use of raw materials, the life of plant equipment is longer, such as furnaces and saves energy. A glass container can go from a recycling bin to a store shelf in as little as 30 days.

Step 2

2. Glass Processing

At the cullet processor, the recovered glass first goes through a process of removing contaminants, such as ceramics and other non-glass, metals, gravel and other dirt. Glass is then sorted by color, and it is sized so that it meets specifications to be “furnace-ready” cullet. The finished cullet is then sold to container manufacturers to be made into new glass bottles and jars or in some cases fiberglass. Glass that does not meet glass manufacturer specifications may be used for a secondary application or product.

Step 1

1. Glass Collection

People place recyclables in bins or at glass drop-off collection sites, or return glass bottles through a container deposit program. Glass is more valuable if it’s kept color separated, but in many curbside programs all recyclables are collected mixed. Haulers typically take these mixed recyclables to a materials recovery facility (MRF) where the recyclables are sorted by commodity type. Recovered glass is then sent to a cullet processor for further sorting and cleaning. Recovered glass might also be sent from the MRF directly to a business for a use other than manufacture into a new glass bottle.