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Every day we strive to become a better version of ourselves – making better-informed choices that create a healthier environment, for us and for generations to come. That’s because our actions, no matter how small, impact on this planet we call home.
But what if it wasn’t so difficult? What if a seemingly small step could already make a big difference?
From a bottle to a perfume flacon to a jar, the recycling journey of glass is an endless cycle full of potential. When you recycle glass, it can take on new shapes, colours, and even purposes. Can you imagine holding all that power in your hand?
Glass has the power of infinity. It’s a permanent material that can be recycled over and over again without losing its qualities – and you can make it live on. So help us create a brighter future – a future where we recycle every last bottle.
See how we’re bringing people together on this recycling journey
It doesn’t have to be complicated: even small efforts like recycling can help create a more sustainable environment. Here are three simple steps you can take to improve your recycling game and inspire others to join you:
The journey begins when bottles, jars and flacons find their way into the recycling bin – and that’s where you come in. Depending on where you live, the recycling loop may take different routes – from kerbside collection to bottle banks – and specific rules may apply for what types of glass you can recycle.
Once your glass has been collected for recycling, it is sent to recycling facilities. There, the glass is carefully sorted, separated by colour, and sieved to remove impurities – leaving only suitable glass.
After sorting, glass is broken down into tiny pieces known as ‘cullet’. Cullet then undergoes a complex process of screening, drying, and cleaning to prepare it for remelting.
The pile of recycled glass enters a furnace and becomes molten glass. This molten glass is then formed into moulds to obtain the desired shape.
After the glass has cooled and undergone rigorous inspection and quality control, it is shipped to brands and manufacturers throughout Europe. From here it begins its final journey, making its way back to you on the shelves. And when you are finished with the product, it can be recycled again, re-starting the never-ending cycle of glass recycling.
Glass is a 100% recyclable and inert material. This means that no matter how many times you recycle it, its properties remain intact, and it can be safely reshaped into new containers.
When you take your containers to the bottle bank, you’re not only recycling, you’re also helping to preserve the earth’s natural resources. The materials used to make new containers include sand, soda ash, limestone and – you guessed it right – recycled glass.
Recycling glass also helps to save energy and water during the manufacturing process. The more recycled content we use, the less energy and water is needed to produce new containers, as recycled glass melts at a lower temperature than raw materials.
Fast-melting glass also means fewer emissions – and we can’t slow down on the road to a carbon-neutral future! Every tonne of recycled glass saves 670 kg of CO2, and the industry is working even harder to make glass bottles carbon neutral through initiatives like the Close the Glass Loop. Getting more glass into recycling loops is a way we can all play our part.
Making choices that benefit both us and our planet has undeniable power. Creating a healthier world isn’t just a responsibility – it’s an opportunity to shape a future where well-being and environmental harmony co-exist. Let’s embrace this journey together – and recycle every last bottle.
