How to Improve Recycling of Glass

The recycling data are increasing year after year, butResearch on the glass, in the last 20 years has
there is much that can be done to improve among alldoubled the production of glass containers, which has
consumers, industry and administration, results.led to increased use of raw materials and energy. In
Consumers and glass recycling, for consumers, canthis sense, besides the need to promote recycling,
improve the recycling of glass following a few easyresearch materials of glass can also help to care for
tips. First, it may seem obvious, packaging made fromnature. So progress is being made into new products
this material must be deposited in its appropriateof better quality in packaging and finer, which is a
container, either in "igloos" urban green or in the cleanpositive effect on the environment. So, thanks to
points'. Before you discard the packaging, make sureimproved technology, has managed to use less raw
they are empty, clean, and that there are othermaterial and energy in their manufacture, maintaining
materials that would hamper local recycling efforts, asresistance and the properties that distinguish it from
can be metal or plastic caps.other packages, such as secrecy or hygiene. In the
On the other hand, it is necessary to extend thepast 20 years has eased the packaging weight by
container network to facilitate collection and carry out8.5% and a 16% reduction in energy intensity to melt
more awareness and information campaigns tothe raw materials.
encourage the recycling of glass. In this regard, theThe biggest trend: container, however for some the
work of institutional managers and industry andparadigm of technological development and logistics of
environmental associations and sector is instrumental inrecycling glass in these years are special containers
increasing container has more and better located.that are installed to facilitate the dumping of the waste
Also, environmental education at any age can beglass container to caterers. In this sense, the hospitality
another pillar on which basis the generalization of glasssector consumes 48% of the glass, so their
recycling. In this way, consumers will realize that theawareness is essential to achieve more ambitious
glass, always ensure that recycling is the container thatgoals.
has fewer environmental problems.Igloos for glass recycling: an increasing number,
A study on glass recycling habits, Ecovidrio publishedaccording to Ecovidrio in 2006, consumers had at their
recently, 53% of citizen marks it as a chore more,disposal igloos 136,686, more than 9531 containers in
being 66% of women who claimed to recycle glassthe previous year. Thus, Spain has the best ratio of the
containers, in comparison to 59% of the men. As tocontainer per capita across Europe: a container for
why that is not recycled glass, respondents pointed toevery 327 persons. Valencia, Catalonia, Madrid, Galicia
lack of container and non-use of glass containers.and Andalusia are the regions where most new
Technical improvements in glass recycling, like thecontainers were installed last year.
glass manufacturing techniques have improved, so hasThe containers are becoming more modern and
the recycling process of glass since its introduction, theeffective, while integrated with the urban landscapes
changes are obvious. Today, this procedure is almostunnoticed or as part of the decoration. Glass is the
fully computerized. This is monitored and supervised byonly material that can be recovered. It consists of silica
technical specialists in glass processing.and other bases and, after undergoing the recovery
To this we must add that the machinery used inprocess, the losses are minimal. Therefore, the use of
recycling plants can process thousands of tons perrecycled packaging promotes thousands of
day, while other glasses separates the differentnon-exploitation of quarries worldwide and is a good
materials.way to collaborate with the environment.