The Joy of Glass

Marcela Carbó

History of Glass

Glass is an inorganic solid material that is usually clear or translucent with different colors. It is hard, brittle, and stands up to the effects of wind, rain or sun.

Glass has been used for various kinds of bottles and utensils, mirrors, windows and more.

It is thought to have been first created around 3000 BC, during the bronze age. Egyptian glass beads date back to about 2500 BC.

Glass…

Glass is made from a mixture of the following three ingredients: Sand (72%), Soda Ash (14%) and Limestone (12%).

Recycling reduces the need to quarry for sand and limestone, which helps to preserve our valuable countryside.

History of Glass

Mosaic Glass

Modern glass originated in Alexandria during the Ptolemaic period, artisans created "mosaic glass" in which slices of colored glass were used to create decorative patterns.

Glassblowing

Glassblowing was invented during the 1st century BC by the glassmakers of Syria.

Lead Crystal Glass

During the 15th century in Venice, the first clear glass called cristallo was invented and then heavily exported.

In 1675, glassmaker George Ravenscroft invented lead crystal glass by adding lead oxide to Venetian glass.

Sheet Glass

On March 25, 1902, Irving W Colburn patented the sheet glass drawing machine, making the mass production of glass for windows possible.

Glass Jars and Bottles

On August 2, 1904, a patent for a "glass shaping machine" was granted to Michael Owen.

The immense production of bottles, jars, and other containers owes its inception to this invention.

How is Glass Recycled?

  Glass is collected from our homes by recycling lorries or

from recycling banks by your local council.  The glass is transported to the processing plant where it

is washed and any rubbish, such as plastic, is removed.

The glass is crushed into cullet (small pieces) and is transported to the glass factory.

 At the glass factory, the cullet is melted in a large furnace and then molded to make new bottles and jars.

•Glass bottles and jars come in three main colors: clear, green and brown.

• The glass is often sorted by color, keeping the clear, brown and green glass separate.

• If the glass colors are mixed, it lowers the value and quality of the material.

Why should we recycle glass?

Making new glass from recycled glass uses much less energy and reduces C02 (carbon dioxide) emissions.

Recycling glass saves raw materials from being quarried and then thrown away in rubbish dumps, saving hundreds of thousands of tones of quarrying each year and conserving the countryside. 

Each time a tone of glass is made from recycled glass, 1.2 tones of raw are saved.

Jobs are created by glass collection schemes, and also at recycling centers, which smash and clean recycled glass.

By weight, glass makes up about 8% of our rubbish. Glass recycling reduces the cost of collecting and the disposing

of glass mixed in with our rubbish. Glass can take 1 million years to break down in a landfill.

Amazing Facts

The energy saved by recycling one bottle will: ◦Power a computer for 25 minutes ◦Power a color TV for 20 minutes ◦Power a 100 watt light bulb for almost an hour

Glass is 100% recyclable and can be endlessly recycled with no loss in quality.

One bottle bank can hold up to 3,000 bottles before it needs to be emptied.

The Case for Glass

More and more people are rediscovering the virtues of glass packaging.

Glass protects flavor and freshness. It’s a safe, healthy packaging material for

food and beverages. Glass is 100% recyclable, forever. Glass says quality without even trying. When they have the choice, people reach for

their favorite brands in glass. Glass is life, for all the right reasons.

Why do people love glass?

It's beautiful It's collectible You can make music with it... People love glass—to drink fromTo reuse