In glass recycling management, technology puts Europe ahead of the United States

In glass recycling management, technology puts Europe ahead of the United States

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Glass recycling

In glass recycling management, technology puts Europe ahead of the United States

After being crushed, mixed, and melted together with sand and other materials, glass can be recycled infinitely. Doing so benefits manufacturers, the environment, and citizens, who are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of recycling, although some countries are more committed than others. In Europe, the glass sector is increasingly embracing technology to become more efficient and sustainable, which is largely why its recycling rates are higher compared to those in the United States. While the highest rates in U.S. states are around 65%, in Europe (EU-27), that rate remained high in 2023, though specific figures may vary depending on the source; according to Eurostat, it was 76%.

Denmark achieved a dazzling recycling rate of 98%, while Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, and Germany stood out with rates exceeding 90%. In Spain, according to Ecovidrio, the rate reached 70.1%; 90% of the recovered glass packaging waste is collected from the green container and sorted at the source, ensuring high-quality recycling. San Sebastián—at 38.3 kg per inhabitant—leads the ranking of citizen contribution to the selective collection of this type of packaging.

Raising Awareness

In general, U.S. residents recycle old bottles into new ones at much lower rates than residents of other countries, although they are improving very slowly. This is reflected in the figures related to glass recycling, a material that often ends up in landfills in the U.S. In 2023, according to the sustainability report by the American glass manufacturer O-I Glass, more than 100,000 tons of glass were recycled. This is a significant improvement, resulting from the increase in public education programs and awareness campaigns that encourage consumers to recycle. The most environmentally conscious residents are those in Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Iowa, Oregon, New York, and California. Nonetheless, it is no secret: the U.S. falls short in recycling, and not just when it comes to glass.

There are reports indicating that the discrepancies in recycling rates between the U.S. and other countries are mainly due to differences in government policies, as well as in consumer education and habits. However, there are other reasons that explain the disparity between the U.S. and Europe regarding glass recycling.

For example, in the EU, recycling is often more centralized and organized on a national or regional scale, with well-established and regulated collection systems. In contrast, in the U.S., glass recycling can vary significantly from state to state, with each having different programs and policies. Additionally, while Europe implements numerous initiatives and awareness campaigns to promote glass recycling—many supported by governments and environmental organizations—in the U.S., both the promotion of recycling and the support it receives are more inconsistent.

Furthermore, in the EU, the glass recycling infrastructure is more developed, with specialized facilities and advanced technologies. Surprisingly, in some regions of the U.S., this infrastructure is less developed, which can impact recycling efficiency. Additionally, in Europe, it is common practice to separate glass by color (clear, green, amber) to facilitate the recycling process, whereas in the U.S., this practice may not be as consistent across all regions.

These differences reflect the variations in environmental policies, infrastructure, and recycling culture between the U.S. and Europe. The U.S.’s lag in glass recovery and reuse is not due to a lack of technical expertise.

The Power of cullets

Recycled glass often plays a crucial role in the recipe for producing new glass. In fact, glass container manufacturers regularly mix cullet—a granular material made from crushed bottles and jars—with sand, limestone, and other raw materials. This process yields the molten glass needed to create new bottles and jars.

All stakeholders in the industry agree that using cullet benefits glass manufacturers, the environment, and consumers. In the U.S., surveys show that the American public overwhelmingly supports glass recycling and considers it important. However, while the percentage of recycled glass in Spain and the United Kingdom, for example, has doubled and tripled in the last 25 years, respectively, the figures in the United States have hardly changed.In Europe, since 2022—the International Year of Glass—the European Federation of Glass Packaging (FEVE) has promoted the construction of the first large-scale hybrid oxy-fuel furnace. This development will allow for the substitution of fossil fuels (80% of natural gas) with renewable energy sources, resulting in a reduction of CO2 emissions by 50% to 60%. Fortunately, the EU is taking a definitive step toward producing glass with minimal climate impact.

Technology: A key piece

Technological improvements in waste sorting plants are essential for increasing recycling rates, streamlining processes, and enhancing efficiency. For instance, broad-spectrum artificial vision and robotics play a strategic role. Specifically, the ECOGLASS optical sorter from PICVISA is designed to work in glass recovery and cleaning processes across various streams. It is easily adaptable to different processes where the material is crushed and requires versatility, speed, and precision in identification, separation, or cleaning based on color and shape criteria.

In short, new technologies, like those from PICVISA, have turned glass recycling into a genuine European success story, yielding multiple environmental benefits: it prevents the extraction of raw materials from nature and results in significant savings in CO2 emissions (half a million tons) and energy in the production of new containers (40%).

In the necessary and desired transition to a circular economy, especially during the current climate emergency, glass is already playing a crucial role, and PICVISA’s technological offerings aim to ensure that it continues to do so.