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.