The notion of melting down glass fragments is as old as glass-making itself. Used glass can be recycled again and again without any loss of quality, making it a valuable secondary resource. When heated to around 1,000 degrees Celsius it becomes extremely malleable. At 1,400 degrees it melts, ready for reuse in new products from glassworks. The ALBA Group recycling experts also have extensive experience in marketing and recycling used glass, and use their expertise to ensure that the right amounts are always available to industry, in the required quality.
Used glass: a clear advantage
The ultimate recycling material
State-of-the-art technology creates pure granulates
Glass-making requires an exceptionally pure source material. That's why, in our glass processing plants, modern opto-electronic recognition technology is used to sort glass by colour and remove extraneous materials such as ceramic, porcelain or metal. The resulting high-quality glass granulate can then be used to make new glass products. For example, recycled glass is ideal as packaging material since it is not only tasteless and odourless but also acid-resistant and airtight. In addition, the manufacture of products from used glass requires around 20 per cent less energy than using new glass - a clear benefit for the economy and the environment. The collection of retail packaging from private households accounts for around two million tons of recycled glass every year.