What is happening with glass waste in Latvia 0 117

Glass that is taken to deposit container collection points and glass that is collected by companies dealing with construction waste are two different types of glass that are handled by different enterprises, says board member of "Ekobaze Latvia" Maris Baltrums. These types of glass are not mixed either during collection or processing, and they are recycled at different plants.

Both colored and colorless glass containers are reused to produce new bottles for wine, beer, and other beverages, as clean, color-sorted glass can be recycled almost indefinitely without losing its properties.

Color-sorted bottles are crushed into cullet and then melted down to make new bottles. In this process, it is very important to sort the glass correctly because dirt, impurities of other colors, and other materials — such as ceramics or window glass — significantly hinder recycling.

However, in reality, glass factories are more interested in glass collected from manufacturers — defects, production trimmings, etc., as well as glass generated during building demolitions. The reason for this is not difficult to explain: in glass recycling, the chemical composition and impurities are extremely important, and recycling plants specialize in specific types of glass.

In Latvia, three types of glass waste are generated in significant volumes

First, there is laminated glass, which has a polymer film placed between two glass plates, and the entire structure is fused together. This type of glass is familiar to everyone — it is used in cars. Its main property: when broken, the shards remain adhered to the film, reducing the likelihood of injury in accidents. Therefore, the most important source of such waste is auto repair shops that replace car windows. Laminated glass is also used in shop windows, facades, doors, windows, canopies, and anywhere impact-resistant and fire-resistant glass is required.

The second important type is selective glass. This glass has a special coating that allows most visible light to pass through while reducing the penetration of thermal (infrared) radiation, improving the thermal insulation of windows and reducing energy consumption in buildings. From the description, it is clear that this type of glass is used for glazing windows and facades in places where increased thermal insulation and energy efficiency are required.

And finally, the third type is anti-glare glass, produced by the well-known Latvian company "GroGlass". It is used in museums, for displaying works of art, in architecture, and in electronic displays.

What happens to the collected and sorted glass waste?

First, the glass is finely crushed, then it is cleaned of impurities — films, metal particles, etc. — using optical devices, vibrating tables, and magnets, after which it is ground. Next, the cullet is sent to the nearest glass recycling plants. Waste from the anti-glare glass produced by "GroGlass" is sent to the "Interminglass" recycling plant in Wolbrych, Silesia, Southern Poland. This is a regional leader in the production of glass microspheres for reflective road and runway markings, as well as other products. It is these tiny glass beads that make road markings glow in the headlights at night.

Laminated glass is sent to the "Guardian" factory in Czestochowa (also Silesia), where it is made into float glass — raw material for glass with various coatings, low-emission and solar control glass, as well as laminated glass for residential and commercial properties.

Selective glass is sent to the "Saint-Gobain" factory in Dąbrowa Górnicza, where it is recycled into glass products and solutions for facades, windows, and interiors.

Glass waste collection in Latvia is not a very large business. For example, for the construction and industrial waste collection company "Ekobaze Latvia", it accounts for about 5% of turnover. We accept all types of glass — automotive and other laminated glass, double-glazed windows, windows with wooden and plastic frames, as well as old window glass from greenhouses, shop windows, and houses. Despite the small volume of business, glass collection is important for society — both from an ecological and safety perspective.

If you want to ensure that your glass waste is actually recycled and returned to circulation, the most important thing that residents and companies can do is to sort glass separately rather than throw it into general waste containers. Separately sorted glass will be guaranteed to be recycled and reused, while glass thrown into general waste will inevitably end up in landfills, where it will remain virtually forever, as glass does not decompose in nature — it only breaks down mechanically into smaller and smaller pieces.