T
1

Glass recycling hype misses a big piece of the puzzle

Many in our trade say using recycled glass is the top way to be sustainable. I disagree because the cleaning and melting steps often use tons of energy, sometimes more than making new glass. On my projects, contaminated recycled material gets tossed, creating extra waste. Focusing on long-lasting installations and local suppliers might be better for the planet overall.
2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
2 Comments
oscar_rivera95
Wait, nobody's talking about the weight of glass for transport. Moving crushed glass or bottles across states burns so much fuel. That old glass is heavy, and trucks are mostly diesel. So even before cleaning, you've already burned more fuel than a local sand quarry might use. The math changes when you count those miles.
8
val_chen16
val_chen1621h ago
Honestly, @oscar_rivera95 nailed it on the fuel bill, which is why we switched to local materials.
0