| Glass is one of the most popular materials to | | | | pardon the pun, very clear. |
| recycle today. Why? Well, it is because most glass | | | | Glass is actually a natural product formed by the |
| is relatively pure in substance, so melting it down | | | | compressing of sand mixed with lime, soda or ash. |
| releases less harmful chemicals into the air we | | | | Glass can form on its own in nature, but a vast |
| breathe. There is also a quick turn around in the | | | | majority of it is of course man-made. When glass |
| process of recycling the used containers, melting | | | | is crushed and made ready to recycle it is termed |
| them down, manufacturing new containers and | | | | "cullet". The United States is the country that |
| stocking them back on store shelves with your | | | | recycles glass into cullet the most because in |
| favorite products in them. | | | | many countries, glass containers are still refilled |
| One hold up to recycling is that glass can come in | | | | (which if you think about it is recycling as well). In |
| such a variety of colors. These colors all have | | | | fact, in Europe 80% to 90% of glass containers |
| different chemical makeups that make them look | | | | are refillable. It is actually cheaper to collect, |
| the way they do. Thus, the recycling center has | | | | sterilize and refill glass containers than it is to |
| to sort out clear and colored glass into various | | | | make them into cullet, melt and remold them. |
| categories. The most common are colorless, flint | | | | Even so, in the U.K., nearly 752,000 tons are |
| (or green) and amber (or brownish) colored glass. | | | | recycled each year. Statistics out of Germany |
| But there are also cobalt blue glasses, which was | | | | show in 2004 their recycled glass containers |
| popular in "Depression glassware" and turn of the | | | | reached over 2 million tons. In the United States, |
| 20th century medicinal bottles and is making a | | | | more and more states are giving rebates for |
| comeback in food, ornamental and cosmetic | | | | glass that is turned in for recycling or refilling. If |
| products containers. Other drawbacks to glass | | | | you look on glass bottles the abbreviation of the |
| containers are that they take up a great deal of | | | | states currently participating in rebate programs |
| space in landfills because of their density and can | | | | are listed on the labels or in the glass itself. As |
| actually be a fire hazard if discarded on the side | | | | more glass is recycled, more advanced |
| of the road. The sunbeams can intensify and | | | | technologies for separating the different colors as |
| concentrate when bent through glass causing dry | | | | they stream by are being fine tuned. Also, even |
| brush and grasses to ignite. Like other statistics | | | | though every state in the U.S. has different |
| involving materials that are recycled versus | | | | regulations and rules for glass recycling, as do |
| manufactured new each time, glass that is | | | | communities within each state, websites such as |
| recycled can tremendously help to reduce toxic | | | | can keep you up to date on the latest glass |
| emissions. So the necessity of recycling glass is, | | | | recycling news. |