{"id":28278,"date":"2019-08-05T15:47:48","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T19:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cswd.net\/?page_id=28278"},"modified":"2021-04-13T19:20:15","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T23:20:15","slug":"glass","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cswd.net\/recycling\/glass\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Glass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Glass recycling is a complicated subject. The story is long, and the process continues to evolve. In this post we\u2019ve broken it down into what\u2019s happening now plus a little history to help put it all in context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
CSWD Glass Recycling–Today<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n For those of you who don\u2019t spend hours watching YouTube videos about recycling plants (guilty as charged!), here\u2019s a quick overview of what happens to that glass jar or bottle after you\u2019ve emptied it, given it a quick rinse, and tossed it into your blue bin. This is how glass recycling happens in Chittenden County, Vermont, which is very much like what happens all over the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 1.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your trash and recycling hauling company picks up your recyclables or you bring them to a CSWD Drop-Off Center, and they go to CSWD\u2019s Materials Recovery Facility\u2014commonly called the MRF (rhymes with smurf)\u2014in Williston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the MRF, the glass bottles and jars are smashed at the beginning of the sorting process by spinning metal discs. These discs are spaced two inches apart, so the broken glass falls through and is immediately separated from all the other recyclables. Anything smaller than two inches\u2014corks, loose bottle caps, pill bottles, etc. \u2013 also drops through these spaces and end up as trash mixed with the glass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The broken glass travels past vacuums, magnets, and a whole series of carefully designed machines that shake, rattle, and roll that whole messy mix. The goal? Separate glass from all that trash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When local markets are not available, winter weather conditions make further processing at the CSWD MRF extremely difficult, or we are unable to meet PGA standards, we may opt to send this partially processed glass to dedicated glass processing facilities that clean up and market our glass for uses such as fiberglass, abrasives, or civil engineering projects that are similar to the projects it is used for in Vermont. Currently, the two facilities we use are 2M Ressources in Quebec or Patriot Recycling in Raynham, MA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 3. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Glass that continues through our MRF next goes through a special smasher that breaks the shards down to pieces no more than a quarter of an inch across and passes over another special machine that screens out any remaining bits and pieces of trash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, the glass meets the Vermont standard required to be used as\u00a0Processed Glass Aggregate<\/a>\u00a0(see\u00a0Section 6-302(12) of linked Rules). We know this because we test it<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step <\/strong>4.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n CSWD pays about $5.00 per ton to send the PGA to Whitcomb\u2019s quarry in Colchester, VT, where it\u2019s blended with natural aggregate such as quarry stone. As part of our agreement with this quarry, we annually include information on the PGA uses allowed under Vermont\u2019s Solid Waste Rules<\/a> (section 6-302(12). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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