Waste glass and cullet. All about glass recycling and disposal

Broken glass is a type of solid household waste, which our society produces daily in immense volumes.

Broken dishes, light bulbs, window glass, empty bottles and cans - when sending all this to a landfill, few people think about the fact that in nature this garbage cannot be decomposed. Meanwhile, glass is perfectly recyclable, allowing you to free up huge areas in landfills for storing solid waste and not take up new ones. Ideally, when we come to separate waste collection, when glass waste, plastic, paper, etc. are collected separately. And to separate waste removal (see).

To make glass you need a large number of sand, limestone and soda ash, whose natural reserves are not unlimited. One ton of broken broken glass equivalent to a ton of natural raw materials! In Europe they are well aware of this, which is why more than 80 percent broken glass goes into recycling.

Glass recycling is a great business!

Even if we do not take into account the environmental aspect, recycling glass is a great opportunity to open your own business. Enormous financial costs will not be required, but the payback can be expected in a very short time. It should be added that the glass is completely recycled, so production does not harm the environment.

This market segment is notable for the fact that there are no problems with both suppliers of raw materials for processing and consumers of the final product. Many industries readily use scrap glass waste. For example, in metallurgy, adding 20 percent cullet to the charge (the mixture used for smelting) allows saving from 4 to 6% of energy resources. In addition, the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere is significantly reduced:

• 20% - sulfur dioxide;
• 16% - fine dust;
• by 8% - nitrogen oxide.

Various materials are produced from glass raw materials:

• glass powder of various fractions;
• fine-grained concrete (foam is mineralized by cullet powder, and the proportion of glass chips can reach 95%);
• alkaline earth and slag binder (glass share - from 6.5% to 45%);
• silicate heat insulators;
• materials for radiation protection;
• foam glass (an insulating material that has excellent thermal insulation and fire-resistant qualities, and also prevents the settlement of insects and rodents).

“Recycled glass” is successfully used in the production of:

• ceramic sanitary ware;
• water filters;
• bricks (as fluxes);
• a wide range of abrasive materials;
• as the basis for the top layer of playground coverage at sports facilities;
• insulating materials.

Glass recycling steps

Glass recycling steps may vary depending on the requirements of the final product. But the main stages of the technology remain unchanged:

• collection,
• delivery (transportation),
• processing (sorting, separation, washing, cleaning, drying),
• splitting up,
• adding additives (if necessary), various fillers, gas-forming agents;
• production of final products.

As in other industries, the quality of the final product directly depends on the raw materials. In particular, it depends on its purity, for which separation equipment is responsible, which includes many filter elements, multi-cell grids, catchers, and magnets.

A family of several people purchases about 10 units of glass containers monthly, along with juices, drinks and pickles. And if cans are considered a necessary household item, then most bottles are most often sent to the trash bin. But recycling glass allows you to make many new useful things from waste.

Cans and bottles can be used endlessly, because glass is a material that is 100% suitable for reuse. In our country, the mechanism for collecting used packaging has been established in almost all populated areas, but the majority of ordinary citizens still send it to a landfill. Isn't it better to be more conscious and recycle the glass? Moreover, although such disposal costs money, it prevents the creation of many tons of garbage waste.

Features of waste processing in Russia

Glass recycling in Russia is ongoing. According to research data, the annual collection of such waste is about 3.5 million tons. The collected containers are used in two ways:

Whole cans and bottles are washed, disinfected and reused;
- substandard items are broken down and sent for further processing.

Just 5 years ago, 97% of all collected containers in Russia were reused and only 3% were cullet. But since 2012, technical regulations have banned reuse of all glass packaging that came into contact with baby food, which significantly increased the share of such waste in the total mass of collected containers.

Recycling of broken glass is carried out in several stages:

Automatic sorting and grinding of recyclable materials;
- removal of metal inclusions (stoppers, caps) using a magnet;
- adding raw materials (sand, soda and limestone) to glass chips to improve the properties of the finished product;
- glass melting in a special furnace at a temperature of 1200–1500°C. It is worth noting that broken glass melts at a lower temperature than the original raw material, which significantly reduces energy costs;
- molding of new products;
- annealing of finished cans and bottles to increase the strength of the packaging;
- visual and technical quality control of glass containers.

It is worth noting that in Russia the recycling process is not limited to the production of new bottles and cans. In our country, decorative and heat-resistant tableware is produced from recycled materials, as well as ceramic sanitary ware, water filters, construction, insulating, abrasive and other materials.

What are the benefits of recycling used glass bottles?

Everyone knows that continued use of waste is good. But let's move away from general formulations and look at the specific benefits of recycling glass waste.

• Preservation environment. Glass production requires sand, which is mined in quarries. To do this, huge holes are dug on the surface of the earth, and sometimes forests are cut down to clear the work site. After developing one quarry, people begin to destroy nature in another place. Many of us feel regret at the sight of cut down trees and abandoned quarries, but... we continue to throw bottles in the trash.
• Preservation natural resources. The main components of glass are sand, limestone and soda ash. On this moment people do not lack these types of raw materials, but everything has an end. If we talk about specific figures, one ton of recycled glass saves at least 500 kg of sand, 200 kg of limestone and 150 kg of soda.
• Conservation of energy resources. Primary glass production itself involves high energy costs. But in addition to this, energy is spent on mining and recycling of already used containers. Scientists have calculated that just 2 recycled bottles release enough energy to boil 1 kettle of water.
• Reducing the area of ​​solid waste landfills. The decomposition time of glass is about 1000 years, which means that each existing landfill will be inherited by another 12–15 generations of people. But this is half the problem, because after some landfills are filled and closed, more and more landfills have to be opened. Meanwhile, glass recycling significantly reduces waste volumes and saves about 10,000 hectares of land annually.

Problems of glass container recycling

Most Russian citizens are in no hurry to hand over cans and bottles. Some consider this activity shameful, because most often they are rented out by tramps and the poor. Others don't even think about the problem of environmental pollution and throw away bottles along with other household waste.

Show consciousness and at least organize in your home separate collection garbage, because glass is a fairly profitable resource: for one standard bottle at the collection point you will receive about two rubles, for a non-standard product - from 20 to 80 kopecks. You may not get rich, but you will contribute to the preservation of the main wealth - pristine nature!

Nowadays, standard disposal of any waste is ineffective and dangerous. Garbage releases toxic substances that are harmful to both humans and all living nature.

In addition, there are very few enterprises on the domestic market that process waste, including glass. In this regard, many economists are convinced that such a business could soon become very popular. Especially considering the harm recycling causes to the environment.

Relevance of the issue

Many countries around the world pay special attention to waste recycling. After all, reusing any raw material is always an opportunity to save on its production. In addition to saving money, recycling also helps to avoid the accumulation of household and industrial waste, which means the burden on the environment is reduced.

Glass plays an important role in the recycling market. This material is used for a variety of purposes, such as in the construction industry and in the food industry. A great variety of products of varying degrees of complexity are made from glass. Therefore, glass recycling is very important.

Thus, the glass processing business is quite a profitable activity. This thesis is strengthened by the fact that the authorities always have a positive attitude towards such enterprises, especially considering their small number. So, let's look at this business idea more specifically.

Glass processing equipment

Of course, the first thing before opening your business is to purchase equipment for glass processing. When cleaning this material from impurities, sieves of different sizes are used, and a crushing plant is needed for grinding.

A conveyor is needed to move material to different processing locations within a plant. In addition, you should take care of purchasing air apparatus and a melting furnace.

The advantage of this business is the small number of required personnel. At each stage, there are enough ten people who will perform specific duties.

Video of the entire process (including captions):

Most often, experts recommend using domestic equipment, which is of high quality but inexpensive. In addition, you can purchase used foreign-made devices or their Russian analogues. The cost of such equipment does not exceed seventy thousand rubles, and the quality and durability remain at a high level.

Waste sorting

First of all, glass is sorted by color, and only then by the type of its manufacture (regular or ceramic). Before crushing begins, the material is cleared of foreign impurities such as dirt, metal or stones. After direct grinding, a second, more complex and comprehensive cleaning is carried out. And only after completing all the described steps can you begin remelting.

Business organization

What is the essence of such an enterprise? Despite the fact that glass recycling technology may seem like a rather complex and multifaceted process, the most difficult thing in this matter is to sort different types raw materials. All this turns out to be of little importance and not too expensive, because the result is a material that is not inferior in quality to new glass. This means that it can be successfully used or sold.

Before launching a glass processing plant, it is necessary to prepare a special site appropriate state standards and labor safety standards. We are talking about high fences, large containers for sorting material and an optimal entrance for successful delivery. In addition, it is very important that the plant is located at a sufficient distance from populated areas, because the noise level during its operation exceeds city standards.

It is best to use a room located near a landfill as a processing workshop. So, both the outskirts of the city and any industrial zone are suitable. However, it must be remembered that residential buildings, according to regulations, must be located at least six hundred meters from the enterprise.

An important factor is delivery. To do this, you can use your own fleet or sign an agreement with a transport company. It is also possible to arrange delivery by utility companies.

It is recommended to use a room that is not too large as a warehouse: about one hundred square meters is enough. However, the workshop will require much larger footage. We are talking about at least five hundred square meters.

As in any business, in this case you cannot do without start-up capital. After all, the most difficult part of production, as already mentioned, is glass sorting. And this is done by workers who will need to be paid wages. It is also necessary to set specific prices for the purchase of glass waste.

The most important part of organizing a business will be the delivery of raw materials. To begin with, it is recommended to accept glass waste a short distance from the recycling point. Will need freight car, into which it will be possible to load as much glass as possible in one go.

You can be convinced of the profitability of the processing business within a few months after its launch. Presumably, this is when all the start-up costs will be recouped. It is worth remembering that payback is directly proportional to turnover. So, its term is longer, the greater the turnover. Deep processing of glass waste, at the same time, brings the greatest profit.

Expenses

A colossal amount of money will have to be spent on the construction of a large processing facility. But even more modest ventures can deliver tangible benefits, economists say. So, you will have to spend no more than three hundred thousand US dollars to organize such a workshop.

It will cost about two thousand dollars to equip warehouses and production facilities. It is important to ensure full compliance sanitary standards and fire safety standards. If you locate a workshop near a residential area, you can save on the delivery of raw materials, because local residents will bring it to you (it’s enough to organize the collection of broken glass in containers).

As already mentioned, a sorting line, crusher and all other equipment can be purchased for only 70-80 thousand rubles.

Documentation

A glass recycling business must be conducted legally. So, before starting work on the arrangement of premises, take care of obtaining a license from the Ministry of Ecology. According to this legislation, any waste processing activity must undergo mandatory environmental assessment. The conclusion of this examination is usually issued for the entire period of operation of the enterprise.

Of course, permits from the sanitary and fire services are also required. In addition, the entire production process must be clearly described in the design documents.

It will take about six months to collect all these acts and resolutions. Be prepared for quarterly inspections from the local environmental organization, sanitary and epidemiological station, firefighters and other government agencies.

Working staff

The number of workers needed directly depends on the scale of production. On average, about forty people are enough to organize the rejection, sorting and grinding of raw materials. You will also need separate personnel to handle broken glass.

All of this work is done manually. Therefore, it is important to hire qualified workers, because they will have to determine by eye where to sort this or that unit of raw material. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the need to train newcomers and monitor work at each individual stage of production.

Your potential clients

First of all, they will be interested in your services municipal authorities. After all, it is important for the city to process raw materials in a timely manner, if possible, in order to avoid the accumulation of landfills.

In addition, various glass companies that have nowhere to store broken glass will transfer their waste to you.

After all, unauthorized emissions on their part lead to administrative liability.

You can offer the owner of such an enterprise to organize the removal of their recyclables. If you charge less than what they spend on their own disposal, you will have a steady source of income.

Various organizations will buy recycled materials from you to produce their products (for example, light bulbs, bottles, etc.).

Recycling cullet is a very profitable business. Despite certain financial costs, it will become profitable within a year after the start of production. And if you manage to establish business relationship with local businesses, good income will be guaranteed. In this case, you will be directly dependent on the supply of raw materials from such enterprises, so it is important to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with them so as not to lose money.

The high profitability of the processing business (we are talking about an indicator of eighty-two percent) is due, among other things, to the lack of competitors.

The “clean” waste recycling business is gaining increasing popularity among those looking for a profitable business idea. And in addition to waste paper and PET containers, glass can also be recycled. Glass processing as a business, if you properly organize the process, starting with the acceptance of raw materials and ending with the sale of products, can bring consistently high profits - regardless of the season. The basis for success is a clearly drawn up business plan. It will help plan future activities - expenses and profits. In addition, the project will help to obtain government subsidies or loans on more favorable terms.

Our business assessment:

Starting investments – from 300,000 rubles.

Market saturation is average.

The difficulty of starting a business is 5/10.

It is quite possible to open a mini glass processing plant in Russia without large investments, the main thing is to know some of the nuances of this area.

Relevance of the planned business

A raw material processing plant is beneficial for several reasons. And the main one is all kinds of government support. Now in many regions there are state programs for issuing loans with lower interest rates, as well as loyal requirements for registration and taxation.

A mini-workshop for glass processing is a good cause that helps to carry out activities to preserve the environment.

We also take into account the fact that glass recycling does not require large financial costs for raw materials - half of it goes to the entrepreneur completely free of charge.

Broken glass, purified or not, can be sold to many industrial enterprises that use glass as a raw material. It is actively used by factories for the production of building materials, sanitary products, and glass products. This means no problems with sales.

We set up your business correctly

Running an unregistered business is a major violation. The fact is that industrial processing of glass waste, like any other secondary raw material, requires a license from the Ministry of Ecology. This is usually issued for the entire period of operation of the workshop.

Practice shows that it can take up to six months to collect the necessary package of documents. Here you can go more the easy way– if you have the means, resort to the help of specialists at this stage.

What kind of premises will be required?

Recycling broken glass will require a separate building. Most of the space will be used to organize a warehouse where collected raw materials will be received. As for the production workshop itself, its area depends on the planned capacity of the enterprise, and, accordingly, the dimensions of the purchased equipment.

Glass recycling process

Glass processing technology may vary depending on what final product is planned to be produced. If we talk about business with minimal costs, then the best option is the production of purified cullet.

But the production of some final product within the walls of a workshop (the same bottles, for example) will require much higher costs than recycling cullet. Therefore, in the absence of large initial investments, it is better to start small. Over time, you can modify your plant by purchasing the necessary machines and equipment.

If we talk about the production of broken glass, then the raw materials go through the following stages:

• sorting,
• cleaning,
• drying,
• splitting up,
• storage

At a more modified enterprise, where it is planned to process waste to produce high-quality glass raw materials, the purified waste goes through several additional technological stages:

• Adding, according to the recipe, various fillers.
• Heating raw materials in ovens.

How to equip a glass processing workshop?

What equipment to buy for glass processing?

And for the workshop to operate at full capacity, you will need to buy equipment for glass processing. Despite the novelty of the direction, the entrepreneur will have a fairly wide choice - from individual low-power machines to high-performance multifunctional lines.

The most affordable option for technological equipment is a line consisting of a section for cleaning and drying incoming containers, as well as a grinding section. When choosing machines here, it is worth paying special attention to separation equipment, since it will determine how well the raw materials are ultimately purified. The price of equipment for processing glass into glass chips (separator and crusher) is low - it can cost 300,000 rubles. But you shouldn’t expect high performance from such a line. The maximum that it will allow is the processing of raw materials at a speed of up to 100 kg/h.

As the power of the equipment increases, its price also increases.

Modern line for processing cullet to obtain raw materials High Quality, comprises:

• dryers,
• shredders,
• forms,
• ovens.

The cost of such equipment will be quite high - at least 1,500,000 rubles. But the finished product on the market will cost more.

How much can you earn from glass recycling?

A glass waste recycling business can bring a decent income to its owner. But here it is important to establish uninterrupted supplies of raw materials.

How can you collect broken glass?

• Buying from the population.
• Installation of special containers on the streets.
• Collection of waste from factories and stores.

The cullet collection point, as well as the installation of containers, will require additional expenses from the entrepreneur - wages to workers, purchase of components. But these expenses are necessary so that the equipment does not stand idle.

You should be prepared for the fact that you will have to spend money on organizing your own vehicle fleet, since permanent car rental from a third-party organization is not at all profitable.

Taking into account how much a machine for preparing and processing waste costs, as well as how much it will cost to organize at least several waste collection points and organize your own fleet of vehicles, starting a small workshop will require at least 700,000 rubles. You can reduce your starting investment to literally 300,000 rubles by purchasing used equipment or refusing to purchase freight transport.

The average price of a ton of cullet is 1500-2500 rubles/t. And knowing the exact pricing policy of the organization that purchases cullet, taking into account the capacity of its workshop, you can calculate the profit.

IN modern world The traditional approach to waste disposal is not only ineffective, but also dangerous. After all, toxic waste adversely affects both human health and the environment.

In addition, there are very few companies engaged in its processing on the domestic market, while the amount of raw materials is huge. According to many economists, this business will soon become very popular.

Relevance of the issue

In the economies of many countries around the world, the most pressing issue is the reuse of materials. This helps to avoid the accumulation of industrial and household waste, and the savings will be very noticeable, thanks to which resources will be preserved. In addition, the burden on the environment will not be so great.

Far from the last role today belongs to such a business as recycling broken glass. It is used in various enterprises for the production and manufacture of goods various types and appointments. For example, glass plays an important role in the construction industry, and sometimes in the food industry one cannot do without this material.

Due to the lenient attitude of the administration towards waste recycling companies, as well as the small number of such organizations, we can conclude that glass recycling is a profitable, in-demand and promising business. Next we will tell you more about it.

What is glass recycling?

So, what is the work of such an enterprise? At first glance, the technology for processing cullet is a very complex process, but the most labor-intensive part here is sorting the raw materials and separating one type from another. All this pales in comparison with the fact that the resulting material is not inferior in quality to new glass. Therefore, this business has been very active lately.

Before starting this process, it is necessary to prepare a special site that must meet all the requirements and strict regulations. There must be a high construction fence, a special large container for sorting glass, and proper access must be made for delivery. And because of high level noise, the building itself should be located at a remote distance from the populated area.

Material sorting

First, glass is sorted by color, and then by type of manufacture (regular and ceramic). Before crushing, it is necessary to clean the material from all kinds of foreign impurities (dirt, stones, metal). Once the grinding is complete, the glass is cleaned again, this time more thoroughly. Only after this does the process of remelting the cullet take place.

Equipment

Before opening your own company, you need to purchase equipment for glass processing. To clean the material from impurities, different-sized sieves are needed, and when crushing glass, a crushing plant is needed.

In order to move waste to the place of further processing, a conveyor installation is needed. A melting furnace and air apparatus are also required.

This line is fully automated, so many people are not needed here. Several people are enough, each of whom performs specific duties.

Experienced entrepreneurs consider domestic machines to be the most suitable, since it is much easier to find components for repairs, and the reliability of such equipment is much higher. It will be much more economical to purchase used foreign equipment or its Russian analogues, the cost of which will not exceed seventy thousand rubles.

Organization of production

The best option for organizing such an enterprise would be a premises located a short distance from the landfill. This could be an urban outskirts or an industrial area. At the same time, the nearest residential building must be no closer than six hundred meters from the enterprise being organized.

Also, for the supply of raw materials, you can agree with utility companies or with companies specializing in freight transportation, or organize your own fleet of vehicles for delivering waste from the landfill.

The premises may be suitable for a warehouse small sizes- about one hundred square meters. As for the workshop, the space here should be much larger - about five hundred square meters.

For an entrepreneur, glass processing is a business that, like any other, requires initial capital. It is needed, first of all, to pay wages to workers, since the main difficulty is sorting the material. It is also necessary to set certain prices for glass waste.

Most important point The organization of such production will involve the supply of raw materials. Therefore, it is recommended to first accept garbage in your area. To do this, the entrepreneur needs a truck for storing raw materials.

If the process is well organized, then glass recycling - a very profitable business - will pay for itself within a few months. At the same time, the payback period directly depends on the turnover of the enterprise. The larger it is, the longer the term. And with deep processing, you can achieve maximum profits.

Business plan

A huge amount must be paid for the construction of a huge processing complex. But even a more modest enterprise, according to economists, can bring significant benefits. Setting up such a workshop, as a rule, will not require more than three hundred thousand dollars.

At least two thousand dollars must be allocated for the arrangement of production and storage facilities. It is necessary to ensure their full compliance with fire and sanitary standards. If your production is located near residential buildings, you can significantly save on the removal of raw materials, because local residents will deliver it to you.

You can purchase a sorting line, crusher, and other equipment at a price not exceeding seventy thousand rubles.

Documentation

Glass recycling is a business that must be conducted legally. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is obtain a license from the Ministry of Environment. After all, according to the law, any entity that engages in activities such as recycling and waste collection must undergo an environmental assessment. Its conclusion is issued, as a rule, for the entire period of operation of the company.

Permissions from services such as fire and sanitary are no less necessary. You also need to prepare detailed description technological processes of your enterprise in the design documentation.

You can spend up to six months collecting all the documents. Quarterly inspections are expected to be organized by local nature conservationists, firefighters and paramedics, as well as other government services.

Staff

The hiring of personnel directly depends on the scale of production. A medium-sized enterprise is able to serve about forty people who reject, sort, crush raw materials, and receive broken glass.

This work is carried out manually, so this company needs both ordinary and experienced employees who are able to visually identify suitable raw materials and reject unsuitable ones, as well as train new workers and monitor their activities.

Consumers of waste disposal organization products and services

These, as a rule, are, first of all, municipal bodies. They should be interested in environmentally friendly recycling of waste and thereby eliminating the local landfill.

Glass recycling will also be beneficial for glass companies. They are not able to store such waste on their territory.

And if they carry out an unauthorized release, they will receive fines from government agencies.

By offering the owner of such an organization the removal of material for an amount less than what they spent on disposal, you can also make your enterprise more profitable.

Organizations that need it for various needs (production of light bulbs, food containers, etc.) can purchase recyclable materials from you.

Recycling cullet is a very profitable business, despite the fact that it requires certain financial costs. If you manage to establish agreements on the removal of waste or the sale of finished raw materials, such investments can pay off within a year and a half. Otherwise, such enterprises may suffer significant losses.

Leading experts say that a successful company has profitability of up to eighty-two percent due to the fact that there is almost no competition.