Recycling
� Pic 1. Glass bottles ready to be put back into the recycling process.
Preheating solutions to improve energy efficiency in glass plants T
he latest data shows that the majority of glass produced in Europe is recycled. This result has been obtained through awareness campaigns and strict laws that require manufacturers, and customers, to take responsibility for recycling product packages. The recycling rate in Germany is high The cullet addition into a melting furnace can be up to 60% for flint glass and 90% for green glass. The country has policies in place regarding waste management, such as the Packaging Ordinance that obliges manufacturers to collect all their product packages after consumers have used them. Another legislation, the Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act, demands that manufacturers avoid producing any waste. If waste is inevitable it must be recycled and, when recycling
is not an option, it must be disposed of responsibly. Similar regulations are in place in many countries around Europe and the world.
Glass: the material of choice Glass has retained its position as the most recycled closed-loop packaging material in the world. For new generations, glass will be the material of choice to achieve a more sustainable world (Pic 1).
Advantages of recycled glass � One kilogram of cullet saves around 1.2 kg of raw materials such as sand, sodium carbonate and limestone. Therefore, recycled glass helps the world to conserve rare, finite and renewable resources - diminishing glassmakers’ need for raw material. � As recycled glass has a lower melting temperature, it reduces the production
energy consumption; glassmaking feed mixtures with 10% of cullet use 3% less energy. � Glass made from recycled glass reduces air pollution by 20% (it also decreases the exhaust gas concentration) and water pollution by 50% compared to glass made from raw materials. � The reduction in CO2 emissions means that glassmakers need fewer CO2 certificates. � Used glass can be reprocessed into new glass products without any quality loss. � Glass has an unlimited lifetime, meaning that it can be melted and recycled infinitely. � It is a sustainable, environmentally friendly material.
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With customer interest in energy-saving equipment increasing, the pressure is on suppliers to provide sustainable solutions. EME plans to reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency with its investments into batch and cullet preheating systems.
25 Glass International November 2021
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