Use of broken glass in the production of glass containers. Recycling of cullet

Glass disposal and recycling – this is a very important direction in the entire industry of working with industrial waste and human activity.

It is necessary to protect the nature around us, save non-renewable natural chemical elements and resources.

In most developed economies, this problem has long been resolved.

The efficiency of recycling recycled glass reaches maximum percentages, since it is very profitable from an economic point of view, and the laws in these states contribute to the development of the industry.

IN Russian Federation The sphere of collection and subsequent processing of scrap glass is in its infancy and huge masses of buried glass negatively affect the environment.

In addition, such a careless attitude towards finished raw materials does not contribute to economic intensification countries.

This article is devoted to the need for glass recycling, the technology for such recycling and the products that an entrepreneur who decides to start this type of business can produce.

Broken glass, glass containers and other products made from this material should be taken to collection points for subsequent processing for quite good reasons, which are given below:

1. This material practically does not decompose when buried. Products made from it can lie in the ground for hundreds of years in its original form. Only after thousands of years will they be subject to complete biological and chemical decomposition. Therefore, without collecting and processing glass, it is impossible to imagine the environmental safety of the planet, since in a short time it will all be littered with products made from this material. In addition, glass is fragile and its breakage poses a danger to humans, animals and plants.
2. Recycled glass allows you to significantly save natural resources. If only 10% of waste material is used in the production of new products, then natural gas consumption can be reduced by 3%. Well, if we transfer the production technology of such products completely to the use of broken glass, then the gas savings will be 30%. Isn’t it true that this is an excellent indicator that will significantly reduce the cost of the final product.
3. Recycling glass allows you to save huge areas of land, which, otherwise, should turn into environmentally hazardous landfills of unrecycled waste. In addition, handing over broken glass and products made from this material to specialized collection points brings people, albeit small, but stable income. Additional banknotes are unlikely to be superfluous to anyone.
4. When recycling collected glass you can save not only on natural gas , but also on materials such as limestone mixtures, soda ash and sand, which are used in glass production. Glass products are a completely recyclable material, so their recycling is a completely waste-free process, which significantly reduces negative impact to the nature around us.

Thus, recycling and reuse glass waste is necessary to ensure environmental safety, preservation natural resources and reducing the cost of production of glass products.

Types of containers to be collected

The initial glass recyclables can be various containers, products and waste. These are mainly cans and bottles, which are accepted at glass collection points.

Recently, the reuse of such containers has been declining, and they are mostly recycled.

Glass waste is divided into different classes depending on color: colorless (BS), brown (KS), green (GS), etc.

Sorting is done depending on color broken glass before subsequent processing.

Glass products are produced on the basis of the same substances: quartz sand, soda and calcium carbonate.

You should know that many types of glass are made using special additives and impurities. This kind of material Recyclable in rare cases, so mostly reused broken glass.

Stages of raw material processing

Broken glass is processed into ready-to-use material by melting in special furnaces.

The recycling process takes place in several stages, which are described below.

1. At the first stage There is a paid waste collection glass from the population, enterprises and organizations. For this purpose, special collection points are organized and contracts are concluded with large enterprises where glass waste is part of technological process. City landfills play an important role in this process, where large masses of such waste are formed.
2. Subsequently, at the processing plant, the collected glass waste undergo primary washing and sorting into classes. Sorting is the most labor-intensive job, as it is done manually on a moving conveyor. After separation by color, the broken glass is crushed in crushing units and sifted and sorted into fractions.
3. At the last stage, the prepared raw materials are melted in special melting furnaces, where at high temperature waste is transformed into a homogeneous glass mass of a certain color. New glass products are formed from this mass. Products can be made either entirely from glass or with the addition of a certain amount of initial components: quartz sand, lime and soda.

Of course it is short review glass processing technology without many details, everything is much more complicated.

More often primary processing To obtain raw materials, they are carried out at separate enterprises and the resulting product is supplied to manufacturers of various glass products.

Yes, myself the smelting process has its own nuances, but in general everything looks as described above. Let's consider each of the stages of glass processing, starting with sorting, in a more expanded form.

Sorting, washing and drying

This operation starts at reception points glass containers, where bottles and jars are separated by color.

Directly at processing plants, sorting is carried out on a conveyor using manual labor or special automatic separators.

Smaller plants mostly use manual labor, while large processing plants use automatic equipment such as color sorters and other separation systems. broken glass.

After separating the glass by color waste is being washed, separation of various inclusions and drying with hot air.

The quality of the final product depends on the degree of purification of the initial raw materials, therefore cleaning and separation of glass waste is a very important operation in the entire technological chain.

It is performed in several rotating containers, interconnected by conveyors. The equipment is equipped with various traps, magnetic separators, filters and grids. On final stage raw materials are dried in drying chambers.

Crushing and smelting

After cleaning glass waste they need to be crushed into certain fractions, depending on the manufacturing process of the final product.

Crushing of raw materials is carried out on special automatic lines.

This equipment works as follows.

Prepared glass waste is loaded into hammer crushers, where overhead hammers crush raw materials to the required size and enter the unloading chamber through a calibration sieve. At the same time, the cleaning cyclone removes glass dust from the raw material.

The glass raw material obtained after crushing is ready for use. It just needs to be washed with a special solution, dried, added the necessary additives and packaged or sent to the furnace for remelting.

Packaged raw materials are sent for processing. If the enterprise has established a full cycle for producing finished products from glass waste, then either melting or another technological operation is necessary.

Raw materials are melted in special gas ovens. Liquid glass mass can be supplied to molds or special blowing lines to produce finished products. It all depends on the type of products that are needed from glass waste.

Foam glass blocks< формируются из вспененной горячей стекольной массы в формах определенного размера, а бутылки и банки выдуваются на автоматических станках, также в специальные металлические формы.

Some types of glass containers can be reused without remelting the culls in furnaces and manufacturing new products. These include standard bottles and cans, which, after washing and disinfection, are sold to the consumer, which brings in a good income.

Products from cullet

In addition to containers, inexpensive and marketable products can be made from glass waste, especially for the construction industry.

Broken glass is used in the production of many building materials, but the most popular of them are the following items:

1. . Universal insulation with high sound insulation properties. To produce it, glass waste is melted into a special fiber, which is the basis of the product. Glass wool made from waste is significantly cheaper than traditional products made from sand, soda and limestone.
2. Foam glass. High-quality insulation, produced in the form of granules, blocks, sheets, etc. The technology for producing foam glass from broken glass is quite simple. The waste is crushed, melted and foamed in special installations, followed by cooling.
3. Liquid glass. A universal material that is used in various industrial and household areas. Silicate glue is liquid glass. In construction it is used for waterproofing, as an additive in concrete, etc. Cullet replaces sand in the production of liquid glass, which reduces the cost of production.
4. Interior tiles. Glass waste can be used to produce excellent tiles for finishing work. The production technology is elementary: crushed glass is mixed with a special resin and poured into molds to harden. The tile has an "expensive" appearance and has water-repellent properties.

Of course, this is far from full list products that can be produced from glass waste, but this is the most popular product produced from glass scrap.

Conclusion

It is quite possible to build your own profitable business using glass waste.

Not only the collection of this waste can bring real profit, but also deep processing to obtain marketable products.

Glass recycling – this is an urgent task for Russian entrepreneurs, since this business is poorly developed in our country and has good prospects. In addition, with its help we preserve nature for future generations!

In contact with

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 for protection 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:

1. 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.
2. 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:

1. Grind waste and broken glass into pieces of similar size. The pieces should be small enough to color well.
2. Add dyes and binders to the glass mass. For example, polyester resin is sold in hardware and building materials stores.
3. The mixture is poured into pre-prepared tile molds.
4. 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.

1. Washing machines. Clean glass from dirt and foreign materials, such as paper labels.
2. Grinding equipment that processes cullet into powder.
3. Sorting conveyor belt.
4. Equipment for packaging finished powder.
5. 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 developing the technological process and obtaining some permits will take about 6 months.

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:

1. 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 of 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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 processing plant can save a lot of 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 collection garbage:

• 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 glass 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 profits for the business.
• In Hungary for the collection of those who have served glass bottles and other products, stationary containers have been installed, and travel to business centers and the residential sector is also practiced.

Residents of Russia are not yet ready to follow foreign experience and there is obvious reluctance to separate waste collection, 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:

1. Loading hopper where glass containers are supplied.
2. The motor driven vibrating feeder ensures a continuous flow of cullet.
3. A conveyor belt with a protective side along which raw materials are moved for sorting.
4. The sorting conveyor directs the entire glass flow to the washing drum. At this stage, manual removal of foreign objects occurs.
5. The washing drum hydrotreats the raw material and separates it into fractions according to size.
6. 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.

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 prohibited the recycling 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 of the 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.
• Conservation of natural resources. The main components of glass are sand, limestone and soda ash. At the 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.

Be conscious and at least organize separate waste collection in your home, 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!