Recycling broken glass. Your own business: recycling glass cullet

Glass production imperfect and capable of leaving behind a lot of waste consisting of defective glass products and cullet. But this material has a unique feature, which is its ability to be endlessly recyclable, which makes it ideal for production. Glass recycling is especially relevant today, as the industry is developing every day. This is a rather labor-intensive process that involves various ways glass processing. These methods require huge energy costs, without which production cannot do without, because you can’t just throw cullet into a landfill, because the decomposition period of the material ranges from 500 to 1000 years. Discarded broken bottle with its appearance it will be able to remind more than one generation of the carelessness of its ancestors.

What is cullet and glass waste?

Cullet- these are fragments of glass products that are formed during the production of glass containers at a factory, or after use in everyday life. Waste is divided into two types:

The first implies pieces of cullet from 10 to 50 millimeters. In this case, it is allowed to contain pieces of glass waste of the 1st grade no more than 1% of the total mass in a batch of glass waste of the 1st grade, and no more than 5% of pieces larger than 50 mm.
The second grade is not standardized by any size, only by the weight of pieces up to 2 kg.

Also according to GOST Russian Federation Cullet is divided into brands according to color:

colorless transparent (BS);
semi-white tare (PST);
semi-white sheet (PSL);
green (GS);
KS (brown).

For different types of cullet, the following content of colored glass types is standardized:

in the first grade of cullet of the PST, BS, PSL brands, the content of other types of GL and KS is allowed to be no more than 0.5%, for the second grade - no more than 4%;
for the first grade of ZS and KS brands, the content of types PST, BS, PSL is allowed to be no more than 10 percent, for the second grade no more than 20;
for the content of combat grades GS in the KS and, conversely, for the first grade the content is allowed to be no more than 7%, and for the second - no more than 15 percent.

Additionally, in cullet GOST allows the content of impurities of reinforced glass, triplex, metal, mirrors, porcelain, concrete, brick, slag, sand in the range from 0.2% to 5% depending on the component.

Nowadays, glass cullet is used not only for flat glass recycling. It is also used to produce a wide range of materials for which the original purity of glass is no longer so important. One of the main directions is the production of glass containers (jars, bottles). For them the requirements for chemical composition The original raw materials are not as rigid as, for example, laboratory glass. Glass powder makes an equally significant contribution to the production of various foam materials used in construction for thermal insulation and sound insulation of walls. Construction in general is one of the main consumers of glass waste, because they are used to produce various types of concrete, roofing materials, marble, and floor tiles. Also, relatively recently, a special promising asphalt composition was developed, which includes up to 60% ground glass cullet.

Technology and equipment for glass processing

Recently, due to the growth in the production of drinks and other food products using glass containers, there has been an increase in the volume of waste glass. The gradual increase in prices for raw materials and production is forcing us to increasingly turn to processing.

Glass recycling and cullet recycling includes the following actions:

glass waste collection;
transportation to the processing plant;
waste treatment, consisting of several stages of separation, cleaning from impurities and washing;
re-processing, including crushing cullet, grinding into small pieces, and packaging the resulting glass powder for further use.

Recycling broken glass is the most profitable action compared to the disposal of other solids household waste(MSW). Extensive experience in collection and processing technology has already been accumulated abroad. To receive used glass products, special containers have been installed throughout the entire area of the settlement. In large cities, specialized enterprises collect waste glass; in some cases, these same enterprises are manufacturers of glass products. In this case, equipment for processing broken glass is immediately installed at the factory.

Technologies for processing glass waste are not lagging behind in development from the technology for manufacturing finished products from glass. Glass processing equipment is often bulky and expensive, so only wealthy companies can afford it. Recycling lines for these raw materials typically include:

automated systems for sorting broken glass by color, which are able to distinguish shades thanks to modern optoelectronic systems;
containers for sorted broken glass;
the area where the combat warehouse is located for future use;
systems for washing glass from dirt and adhered paper;
various filter sieves;
electromagnetic and air systems that screen out metal elements (lids, packaging) from glass containers;
crushers various types and sizes capable of grinding glass fragments to a powder state;
conveyor belt system;
computer control center that monitors and controls the processing process;
packaging lines for shipment of finished glass powder for further production.

Recycling broken glass is a process for which certain safety requirements are put forward. The area where the processing plant is located should be located far beyond the residential area, because modern production of this type is not capable of meeting acceptable noise standards. Requirements for fencing the area and providing special clothing for employees must also be observed.

Glass recycling

One of the developed areas in the proper disposal of this material is recycling glass directly at the glass manufacturing plant, or in a special room.

This glass processing technology consists of several stages. As an example, we give the sequence of the processing cycle of ordinary glass bottles:

At the first stage, all materials not made of glass are separated from broken glass and defective products. After this, everything is ground into crushed glass and the remaining metal lids are separated using a magnet. And various vacuum processes separate plastic parts and paper.
This waste is then sent for bottle re-production. Silica, soda and lime are used to make glass products, but more than 30% of these raw materials can be replaced with broken glass. All this is mixed and at temperatures above 1500 degrees Celsius it turns back into a glass mass.
The resulting mixture is poured into molds and blown back into new bottles, which after some processing take on a finished form and are ready to serve again as a container for liquids on a store shelf.

The quality of a recycled bottle is in no way inferior to an analogue made 100% from fresh raw materials. In this case, the broken glass melts at a lower temperature than the glass charge. This allows you to save energy on waste melting. One bottle made from rejected waste can save enough energy from melting down to burn a 100-watt light bulb for four hours.

The main advantages of such processing are:

Saving energy required for production. Every 10% of waste used from the total mass of raw materials reduces energy consumption by 2-3%.
No non-recyclable waste: glass is a 100% recyclable material, and the recycling process is a completely closed cycle.
Reducing harmful emissions from production. According to statistics, emissions of sulfur dioxide fall by 10 percent, nitrogen oxides by 4%, and the number of microparticles decreases by 8%.
Saving space in landfills. Every year for specially designated land tens of thousands of tons of both whole and broken glass products are sent for further reuse in future. Timely conversion cycle saves space and cash for the maintenance of such land.

Glass recycling uses only high-tech equipment, because the products that will be manufactured with its help require glass that has high quality and the required chemical and mechanical characteristics.

Automotive glass recycling

Apart from the rest of the processing technology glass products costs of recycling car glass. Conventional recycling lines are designed for the recycling and re-production of window glass and other products made from single-layer material. Windshields (sometimes side and rear) automobile windows are made using triplex technology and are multilayer, firmly bonded with polyvinyl butyral film. These are high-security products that, when broken, do not fall apart, but crumble into many small pieces and remain attached to the film, allowing a person to avoid injury. In this regard, it is not possible to use standard glass recycling technologies for such double-glazed windows.

Nowadays, recycling of such glass has become great importance, and many developed countries are engaged in it. The number of cars is growing rapidly every year, and each middle-class car consumes about 30 kilograms of laminated glass. For example, in Germany about 20-30 thousand tons of triplex glass are recycled every year.

Recycling multilayer material, produced using triplex technology, is labor intensive and provides lower recycled volumes per day than what conventional glass recycling and cullet recycling provides. It consists of the following algorithm with an efficiency of about 8 tons of glass per hour:

At the first stage, sorted broken triplex glass undergoes a preliminary crushing procedure using a multi-roll installation, due to which the rigid structure of the glass is disrupted and it is crushed without separating the fragments.
Next, the resulting cullet is stored for temporary storage, during which the adhesive film is partially separated, which simplifies further processing.
The subsequent operation consists of re-crushing through another multi-roll crusher.
This is followed by manual sorting of the cullet for final crushing and screening with magnetic separation.
Lightweight film fragments are removed by aspiration.
Optical separation is carried out.

Depending on the quality of the triplex processing technology, the fate of the cullet is subsequently determined. Often, such glass cannot be completely cleared of small pieces of film, which is why it cannot be used in subsequent processing for the production of float glass and other glass containers. Therefore, a product of this type is sent for conversion into various thermal insulation materials (glass wool), paint additives and other other products.

To summarize, we can say that glass recycling is an important sector in the industry. For those wishing to get a closer look at it, the World of Glass exhibition will be held in the near future, which will take place in June at the Expocentre exhibition complex.

Objects made of glass surround us in Everyday life, at work and play, at home and away. Windows make it possible to fill the rooms with sunlight. Glass containers allow you to save healthy foods. Bottles of cosmetics and perfumes are made from this material. There is also quite a bit of glassware.

And all this sooner or later breaks down, becomes obsolete or simply ceases to meet the needs. The question arises - what to do with such products? It is not so easy to answer. Glass recycling is not possible in living conditions. Organized and professional disposal is essential. Then the result will meet not only the customer’s needs, but also the requirements imposed by the state.

Rules

According to the norms of Federal Laws No. 7 “On the Protection environment» as amended on March 12, 2014, No. 2395-1 “On Subsoil” as amended on June 23, 2016 and No. 89-FZ “On Industrial and Consumption Waste” as amended on November 25, 2013 all companies, production which is associated with the appearance of glass waste, are required to enter into an agreement for their removal and processing. Well, all other enterprises, as well as individuals, are subject to the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO) of the Russian Federation, according to which a fine of 5 to 200 thousand rubles can be imposed for throwing garbage in the wrong places.

Benefit

Removal of glass for further sorting and processing is objective useful process. First, broken glass that is not properly removed can result in injury to residents or staff. Secondly, problems can be avoided, both legal and organizational. And the process of glass remelting itself involves the presence of rather expensive and energy-intensive equipment. There is no point in purchasing it and using it for non-specialized companies. But a specialized organization will be able to remove the glass on time and then dispose of it.

By the way, according to statistics, glass accounts for up to 20% of the total volume of solid household waste that ends up in city landfills every day. In this case, the cullet will occupy space for many years. The independent half-life can take decades. And the accumulation of glass leads to a deterioration of the environmental situation in the region. Therefore, glass recycling is important and even necessary.

Peculiarities

Glass as an artificial material consists of a number of substances. These are sand, limestone, sodium carbonate and many other additives. Recycling glass involves sequentially performing certain operations. For example, first the glass is thoroughly cleaned. The cullet is then crushed, melted and finally sent to secondary production. It is difficult to obtain clean glass or mirror from such raw materials. But you can make foam glass. It is used to create warm and beautiful partitions inside buildings and premises.

All the client needs is to order the service from a specialized company. For example, the EKOUMVELT company is ready to recycle glass in Moscow and the Moscow region. Our employees will independently remove the cullet or accept it at the warehouse and issue the required documents. They will do the rest themselves.

Removal, processing and disposal of waste from hazard classes 1 to 5

We work with all regions of Russia. Valid license. A complete set of closing documents. Individual approach to the client and flexible pricing policy.

Using this form, you can submit a request for services, request a commercial offer, or receive a free consultation from our specialists.

Glass products and glass fragments can be stored for centuries, littering the planet, but with rational waste management they can repeatedly serve as raw materials for new useful products. Even a small glass recycling plant can save a lot natural resources, benefit the environment and become a source of stable income.

Glass is made from natural raw materials, so even in the form of waste it does not pose a big threat to the environment. It does not emit toxic substances, but it does not decompose naturally.

Domestic and foreign experience

IN Western countries The issue of recycling valuable waste is approached with great responsibility; recycling of cullet is already a well-established business. The fight against garbage is regulated at the legislative level, supported by government subsidies, and violation of the rules threatens with administrative punishment in the form of fines.

One of mandatory conditions effective solution recycling of recyclable materials is separate waste collection:

In the UK, more than 16 thousand tons of glass containers are recycled annually. The need to collect recyclable materials is widely covered in the press, interschool competitions are organized, and bonuses are paid.
In Germany, companies that collect glass containers supply cleaned and sorted material to glass processing plants. Automated optoelectronic systems are used to distribute fragments by color - such equipment for processing waste glass allows you to speed up the sorting process and obtain high quality raw materials, and, consequently, greater profit for the business.
In Hungary, stationary containers have been installed to collect used glass bottles and other products, and travel to business centers and the residential sector is also practiced.

Residents of Russia are not yet ready to follow foreign experience and to separate collection waste is treated with obvious reluctance, so glass recycling in Russia is just beginning to gain momentum. In fact, so far our citizens have been provided with few such opportunities - there are very few specially equipped places for separate waste collection. Therefore on this moment Glass recycling as a business will be most profitable when organizing collection points for glass containers.

Recycling glass containers in Russia is an opportunity to reduce the disposal of glass to landfills, save resources and electricity, the consumption of which is much greater when producing glass from a zero cycle.

What kind of glass can be processed?

The glass container plant accepts double-glazed windows, various interior items, dishes, etc. There are some types of glass that cannot be reused - these are mirrors, triplex, products that use reinforcing mesh, and refractory raw materials.

Already on initial stage it is important to sort, since there is a state standard, according to which these raw materials are divided into two grades:

Grade I – clean waste without foreign impurities, the size of which is 10 – 50 mm
Grade II - cullet of irregular size, in which a slight content of foreign organic impurities, clay and sand is allowed.

To use raw materials more efficiently, you will also need to sort them by color. Mixed materials are the cheapest product on the market, and recycled materials have limited uses. Abroad, recently equipment for processing glass containers includes a sorting line, which successfully replaces manual labor.

Processing plant equipment

Glass processing is a business that is built on a very cheap raw material base, but requires investment in technological equipment. For the minimal processing of cullet required for its sale to factories or subsequent technological operations to obtain the finished product, complex equipment for processing waste glass is used, which includes:

Loading hopper where glass containers are supplied.
The motor driven vibrating feeder ensures a continuous flow of cullet.
A conveyor belt with a protective side along which raw materials are moved for sorting.
The sorting conveyor directs the entire glass flow to the washing drum. At this stage, manual removal of foreign objects occurs.
The washing drum hydrotreats the raw material and separates it into fractions according to size.
The inertial screen sifts out large elements to be crushed.

This is the minimum equipment for recycling glass waste. The line can be modified by adding another conveyor, which will redirect raw materials of large fractions for additional grinding. Another very useful piece of equipment is a vortex magnet, whose job is to sift out aluminum elements that are often found in broken glass.

Relevance of glass recycling in Russia

Despite the large reserves of raw materials, the development of glass processing production in Russia is a very urgent task today. On average, residents of our country throw away 1.2 million tons of unnecessary glass containers annually. No more than 35% of this raw material is processed. That is why glass recycling in Russia needs government support and the provision of an information base regarding the relevance and benefits of collecting cullet.

Even without precise mathematical calculations, one can imagine how much the amount of unused waste can increase if drastic measures are not taken to solve this problem today.

A business using glass waste can become not only a profitable business, but also the salvation of the environmental component of our country. At least one glass processing plant in every locality can significantly improve the current situation and benefit for itself and the environment from free raw materials, which are currently wasted aimlessly in landfills.

How profitable can glass recycling be as a business? The topic of safe waste disposal in Russia is currently very pressing. The demand for environmentally friendly recycling of used resources is growing steadily. Read our article about what you need to start working in this area, how much financial investment is required and how quickly it will pay off.

Relevance of stack processing business

Currently, the recycling of glass and other non-degradable waste is an important and pressing topic. On Russian market There are very few modern waste recycling companies using advanced technologies.

Nevertheless, glass recycling is very important to protect the environment. This material does not decompose naturally (more precisely, it decomposes in more than 1 thousand years), shards of broken glass are dangerous for people and animals, and the soil spoiled by them loses fertility.

The relevance of glass recycling is added by this fact - this material can be reused, and the process of its recycling is virtually waste-free. Moreover, recycling glass allows you to save other materials used in primary production - sand, limestone, soda.

At the same time, you can save gas and electricity. Successful application experience recycled glass showed the fact that gas consumption in production was saved by up to 30%.

In Europe, about 90% of all glass is currently recycled, and in Russia - less than 20%.

Waste processing industry in Russia

However, if recycling and recycling glass is so profitable and useful, Why is this business in Russia so poorly developed? The point is the current situation in the entire waste processing industry - it is not developed as a whole, and lags significantly behind the world level.

Moscow, Moscow region and others major Russian cities are already faced with an acute problem of landfills. This problem can only be solved by introducing innovations, the main one of which is recycling, recycling and recycling of waste.

Recycling cullet is beneficial to society, nature and the state, which means that in the coming decades it will reach a new qualitative level. Modern businessmen have a chance to occupy a profitable niche, while there is virtually no competition in the market.

Types of Recyclable Glass

There are two types of glass that can be recycled:

Containers - cans, bottles and other containers. Containers are accepted at special points. Usually they try to reuse it without recycling - after washing and disinfection. Several decades ago there were a lot of glass collection points, but nowadays finding such a place can be a problem.
Cullet - broken, damaged glass. Can be used after processing. Usually varies by color:
- colorless;
- semi-white tare;
- semi-white leaf;
- green;
- brown.

Glass processing technology

How to recycle glass on an industrial scale and at home? Before we outline the list of equipment and costs, requirements for premises and employees, let’s look at what technologies for processing this type of waste currently exist.

At home

You can recycle and reuse unnecessary glass even at home. True, it is most likely that you will not be able to make a profit from such activities. But you can save a little on building materials by making “ceramic” tiles from recycled glass. Glass recycling at home goes like this:

Shred the unnecessary and broken glass to similar sized pieces. The pieces should be small enough to color well.
Add dyes and binders to the glass mass. For example, polyester resin is sold in hardware and building materials stores.
The mixture is poured into pre-prepared tile molds.
After hardening (time depends on the binding material, check the characteristics on the packaging), the tile is ready for use. You can use it to decorate a kitchen or bathroom.

You can recycle and reuse unnecessary glass even at home.

In industrial settings

Recycling glass on an industrial scale is somewhat more complicated. As a rule, waste glass at waste recycling plants is washed, sorted by type, and then crushed to a homogeneous powder. It can be reused in the future.

In some enterprises, grinding broken glass into powder is not the final phase- here it is used directly on site to produce new material or containers. This occurs by adding crushed powder to the initial raw materials (sand, limestone, soda) and melting it at a temperature of about 1500 degrees.

Most often, this happens in glass packaging factories. This is very good decision, allowing you to get rid of defective and broken containers without any losses. In addition, the quality of recycled glass is not inferior to primary glass, and its production requires significantly less resources and energy.

Glass processing plants in Russia operate in Leningrad, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Ivanovo, Kemerovo and some other regions and republics. However the need for recycling and processing of raw materials is much higher, That's why similar business- great idea.

What you need to purchase to organize glass recycling

Now let's consider the question, what equipment is needed to open your own glass processing plant.

Sorting equipment that separates broken raw materials into types, as well as containers for sorted broken glass.

Washing machines. Clean glass from dirt and foreign materials, such as paper labels.
Grinding equipment that processes cullet into powder.
Sorting conveyor belt.
Equipment for packaging finished powder.
Melting furnaces, if the entrepreneur plans not to stop at the production of glass powder, but to produce secondary glass.

Prices for equipment vary significantly depending on whether the entrepreneur chooses domestic or foreign manufacturers, new or used equipment. On average, you can buy equipment for approximately 2 million rubles.

How to make a profit from glass recycling

What is the basis for the earnings of companies involved in the utilization and processing of raw materials? The source of income will be the sale of glass powder to other enterprises. The scope of application of such secondary material is very wide: the production of ceramics, bricks, glass concrete, paints and varnishes, liquid glass, cladding. The main thing in this case is to establish sales of glass powder to interested manufacturers by signing contracts with them.

The main thing is to establish sales of glass powder to interested manufacturers by signing contracts with them.

When will your financial investment pay off?

Another important question is When will the financial investment pay off? Considering their rather significant size of over two million (including equipment, rent, state registration) with an average profit of 300-500 thousand rubles per month, the funds will be returned in about a year and a half.

To speed up this process, it is necessary to actively conclude contracts with suppliers of raw materials and develop a network of broken glass collection points. It is also important to look for new sources of sales of recycled material. All these measures taken together will help you achieve net profit faster.

How does the government control glass recycling?

Before you start a business in the field of waste disposal and recycling of cullet, you need to know a few nuances. First, the company will need to be officially registered, most likely in the form of an LLC. Secondly, like all companies, the waste recycling plant will need permits from the sanitary and fire services.

Thirdly, to launch an enterprise you will need a waste processing license from the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources. All waste is divided into classes depending on the degree of danger. Glass belongs to hazard class 3, that is, moderately hazardous waste. In the same class there is scrap metal, construction garbage, machine and other oils, acids and alkalis.

Fourthly, it will be necessary detailed plan with a description of the technology for recycling and processing of cullet at the enterprise. It is better to develop it with the participation of relevant specialists, since this document will definitely be checked by regulatory authorities.

The cost of obtaining the entire set of necessary permits is approximately 180 thousand rubles. It is also worth considering that the development technological process and some permits will take about 6 months to obtain.

How to choose a room

It would be more logical to locate such an enterprise in an industrial zone on the outskirts of the city. Assess how convenient the access roads are - will the delivery of raw materials to the workshops be comfortable? If the enterprise is located on the very outskirts, a quality solution would be to organize the delivery of employees to the enterprise by free buses.

The area of the room must be at least 500 square meters - otherwise it will simply not be possible to ensure the correct placement of equipment and create comfortable workplaces. Please note that only about 100 square meters will be occupied by a warehouse for storing recycled powder. In addition to connecting to all communications, the room must be equipped with good exhaust hood.

In addition to connecting to all communications, the room must be equipped with good exhaust hood.

Where to get raw materials for processing

There are several main sources of obtaining materials for processing:

Acceptance of glass and cullet for recycling. To do this, it is necessary to organize the collection of glass through a network of points throughout the city. People will donate small batches of raw materials and combat materials to them. Many people are ready to recycle glass, even for little money. For example, the price for 1 glass bottle varies from 10 kopecks to 2 rubles.
Most often, broken glass is taken in kilograms and tons. Prices still remain low - from 5 to 19 rubles per kilogram, from 500 to 1900 rubles per ton, depending on the type of glass. Sorted raw materials usually cost a little more. Some companies offer free removal of glass over a certain weight.
Conclude contracts for the supply of broken glass with factories and manufacturing enterprises. This option is much more profitable, since it virtually guarantees an uninterrupted and large-scale supply of materials for work.
Please note that businesses are also interested in donating glass because they cannot store it on their premises and are forced to look for various recycling options. Find several permanent “suppliers” of the fight and be sure to sign an appropriate agreement with them.
Sign a contract with municipal authorities cities or towns for the removal of glass waste from public landfills.

Conclusion

The raw material processing business is promising for several reasons. Competition in this industry in Russia is still quite low, so even a small start-up enterprise can take its place in the market. Also, this area is promising due to objective circumstances - the problem of environmentally friendly waste disposal and the use of secondary raw materials in our country is at the very initial stage of solution.

Reception of glass in Moscow

Reuse of glass containers

Currently, for supporters of careful waste management, the most pressing questions are: where and how to hand over glass in Moscow? Branches for its purchase can be found in companies involved in the collection of secondary resources. Each enterprise has its own tariffs, but on average they range from 50 to 80 kopecks per bottle. Unlike other types of recyclable materials, glass containers are accepted without any minimum quantity restrictions. Beer containers without chips or visible dirt are most highly valued. Other types of glass packaging suitable for recycling are marked GL70 on the bottom. Therefore, before you bring your mayonnaise container for sale, make sure it is labeled as recyclable.

Recycling of cullet

We often have to deal with the problem of recycling broken glass, which, by the way, is also a secondary raw material. And while handing over a few broken bottles is not difficult for most people, getting rid of large quantity such waste is much more problematic. The purchase of glass can be carried out by organizations that purchase glass containers, but more often this is the specialization of other companies. They have at their disposal a fleet of vehicles and the necessary equipment for the safe removal of containers. It is important to know that prices for broken glass depend on its type, color and size, so it is better to check in advance the rates at which your waste will be accepted. You should also remember that handing it over yourself may be unsafe, and it may be more advisable to use waste removal specialists to visit the place where they accumulate.