Advantages and challenges of glass recycling

The endless cycle of glass packaging has always had great prominence in the glass industry, mainly due to the fact the glass being 100% recyclable. This is because, during the merger, the pieces are used in the manufacturing process with total recovery, resulting in new packaging with the same characteristics of quality of produced from virgin raw materials. I.e. a bottle made of recycled glass has exactly the same quality of another made with sand, sodium carbonate, limestone, and feldspars, which are the ingredients 100% natural and non-toxic used in glass production. And is thinking about sustainability that Owens Illinois (O-I), the largest manufacturer of glass containers in the world, has been working to expand the use of pieces in your production.
In 2015, the O-I replaced even more raw materials for shards, pointing the 1.3 percentage point increase in the use of shards in the productive process in comparison to the previous year. This is quite significant, considering the challenges of recycling of glass and the volume of tons produced.
Each pound of pieces used in the production of new packaging replaces the equivalent of 1.2 kilo of virgin raw materials, which provides earnings in the economy of natural resources, with benefits for the environment and society. "Glass recycling also impacts significantly energy consumption and the reduction of the emission of carbon dioxide. In the-I, every 10% of pieces we put in ovens, decrease in 2.9% the consumption of electrical energy used and in 5% CO ² emissions in comparison with the production of packages from virgin raw materials, "says Lucia Moreira, Coordinator of Sustainability of Owens Illinois.
Recently, the company examined its carbon footprint through the study-i: The Complete Life Cycle Assessment, which measured emissions from the extraction of raw materials through production, transportation and reuse, to the recycling of glass. The study vouched that the glass containers have a smaller carbon footprint than the plastic (PET) and, in most parts of the world, even smaller than those of aluminum.
Correct disposal and collection are challenges
The recycling of glass packaging contributes directly to the reduction of the consumption of virgin raw materials and, at the same time, promotes the increase of the useful life of landfills, disposal at these sites. Also has the potential to generate jobs and income to pickers and entrepreneurs who work in reverse logistics. "We are working on different fronts, with the objective of increasing the purchase of pieces of glass for recycling. Considering the endless cycle of glass packaging, which is 100% recyclable, we support projects that promote the reverse logistics, disposal and adequate collection of glass packaging, "says Lucia Moreira.
The sustainability Coordinator-(I) explains that the industry is faced with many challenges to make the recycling of glass, such as the high cost of shipping, especially for large distances, low volume collected by collectors and cooperatives, the informality of the scrap market and the quality of the glass below the minimum standards required for your reuse. "It is vital to the effective participation of all the actors in the production chain, especially to promote the correct separation and disposal of bottles after consumption. Put bottle caps, for example, inside the bottles, impairs the recycling ", says Lucia Moreira.