Commercial Glass Recycling
Did you know that glass can be recycled again and again without compromising its quality?
With such an opportunity for sustainability, it’s surprising that UK businesses are still discarding their glass instead of recycling it. Commercial glass recycling reduces the need to extract raw materials from the environment, and we are proud to play an integral part in maximising the opportunity for businesses to recycle their glass waste in the most effective way possible.
Bars, restaurants and pubs currently throw away 600,000 tonnes of glass every year. At Cawleys, we can help change this by ensuring bottles, jars and other glass products are being properly recycled. From small-volume wheelie bins to large bulk containers, we can tailor our service to meet your specific needs.
Our Glass Recycling Process
As part of our glass recycling service, we collect, crush, mix, and melt the glass to create new glass products or to be used to produce items such as building materials.
1. Collection
With Cawleys, participating in glass recycling is as easy as placing your glass waste into our designated recycling bins. Our commitment to convenience extends to our collection trucks, ensuring a swift and hassle-free pickup right from your location. This seamless process encourages active participation in sustainable practices without disrupting your daily operations.
2. Transportation and sorting
Handled with care and precision, we will transport your glass waste to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where it will be separated from non-glass contaminants. This hands-on approach, coupled with cutting-edge automated sorting technologies, ensures that only the purest glass moves forward in the recycling process.
3. Cleaning
The transition from sorting to cleaning is a crucial step in our process. Thorough cleaning mechanisms are employed to eliminate impurities, labels, and any residual content clinging to the sorted glass. This meticulous cleaning prepares the glass for its next phase.
4. Crushing
Once sorted and washed, the recyclable glass is crushed into a uniform cullet. By breaking the glass into manageable pieces, we set the stage for its seamless integration into the glass manufacturing process.
5. Mixing
The cullet, now in its uniform state, is mixed with other raw materials essential for the glass manufacturing process. This ensures that the recycled glass maintains the required properties, contributing to the creation of high-quality, new glass products.
6. Melting
At this stage, the cullet is deposited into a high-temperature furnace, where it is transformed into molten glass. This molten state marks a key turning point, as the glass is now ready to take on new forms.
Environmental Benefits of Glass Recycling
At Cawleys, our commitment to commercial glass recycling extends far beyond the process itself. Our mission is rooted in fostering positive environmental change. Here's how we can help your business contribute to efforts to protect our planet.
Conserve energy
The energy savings achieved through our glass recycling process are substantial. Melted cullet requires less energy to reach the molten state than raw materials. This translates to a notable reduction in energy consumption during the manufacturing of glass products. By teaming up with Cawleys, you can actively contribute to energy conservation, aligning your business operations with sustainable and responsible practices.
Reduce your carbon footprint
By actively participating in our glass recycling program, you will be able to align yourself with a sustainable solution that significantly reduces your carbon footprint. Traditional glass manufacturing relies heavily on raw materials and energy-intensive processes. On the other hand, our recycling process incorporates cullet, reducing the need for raw materials and lowering the energy required for production. This substantially decreases greenhouse gas emissions, making every recycled glass product a tangible step toward a cleaner and healthier planet.
Divert waste from landfills
Recycling glass allows you to divert waste from landfills, mitigating the environmental impact of traditional disposal methods. Glass is inert and does not decompose, making it a persistent presence in landfills. By recycling commercial glass, you can help prevent the unnecessary accumulation of glass in landfills, contributing to the longevity of landfill sites and reducing its overall environmental burden.
Save resources
Traditional glass manufacturing depletes natural resources, including sand, soda ash, and limestone. Cawleys' glass recycling process minimises the demand for these raw materials by incorporating cullet into the production cycle. This resource conservation not only preserves natural habitats but also reduces the environmental disturbances associated with extracting and processing raw materials.
Contribute to a circular economy
Embracing our glass recycling programme empowers you to contribute to a circular economy. Recycled glass products re-enter the market, reducing the need for virgin materials in manufacturing. This closed-loop system promotes sustainability by extending the lifecycle of glass and minimising the environmental impact associated with continuous extraction and production processes.
Glass Types Accepted
As a leading glass recycling business in the UK, Cawleys can help you breathe new life into all types of recyclable glass, including:
Bottles of any colour
Glass jars of any colour
Vials and other types of pharmaceutical packaging
Cosmetics and perfume containers
Please note that not all types of glass can be recycled as some have different compositions that may damage our equipment, contaminate the cullet, or fail to melt properly. Examples include:
Glass cookware
Window glass
Light bulbs
Vase and drinking glasses
Mirrors
Prescription glasses
Glass Recycling FAQs
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Recycling glass minimises the demand for raw materials, conserves energy, and lowers carbon emissions. It also prevents glass from accumulating in landfills, contributing to a more sustainable and environment-friendly future.
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Most glass containers, such as bottles and jars, can be recycled. It's essential to exclude items such as ceramics, light bulbs, and window glass, as they may contain different materials that can contaminate the recycling process.
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Rinse glass containers to remove any leftover liquids or food residues. Remove caps, lids, and any non-glass attachments. Labels typically don't need to be removed, as we can handle this during recycling.
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Yes, coloured glass can be recycled. Our recycling process at Cawleys typically separates glass by colour during the sorting stage. Coloured glass is then processed similarly to clear glass.
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Yes, recycled glass can be of similar quality to new glass. The recycling process removes impurities and contaminants, resulting in a material that can be used to manufacture a wide range of glass products and even building materials.
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Small shards of broken glass can be challenging to sort and process. We advise you to handle broken glass carefully to avoid potential injuries.
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