Glass: The Best Packaging Material For Our Environment
Glass has been made ever since prehistoric times. Dating back to early Egypt where people made glass containers in much the same way as they are made today, glass has been used to store liquids, food stuffs and a wide variety of other materials. We continue to use it today because it is good for the environment and good for our health.
Glass packaging, whether in the form of bottles or jars, is 100 percent recyclable making it 100 percent good for the Earth. Recycling just one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes or a washing machine for 10 minutes. The energy saved from recycling four glass bottles is enough to power a refrigerator for an entire day.
Glass is made from three natural, non-toxic materials, sand, sodium carbonate and limestone. These three materials can be recycled endless, reducing the amount of raw material needed to make new glass. Glass is the only packaging material available that is fully recyclable. Many plastics and paper packaging products have portions that must be removed before being recycled which creates more landfill waste. Some glass bottles and jars have been recycled continuously for the last 20 years.
To recycle glass it must be first collected at bottle banks. Coloured glass is often required to be separated from clear glass. Check with the local bottle bank for their specific requirements. Window glass, drinking glasses, and glass bake ware are not recyclable and should be disposed of properly. Adding these prohibited items reduces the efficiency of the recycling effort.
