Glass is one of the most eco-friendly man-made materials. Every tonne of recycled glass saves 1.2 tonnes of virgin material, including the sand and soda ash that is used to make glass from scratch.
Only bottles and jars are 100 per cent recyclable. Microwave turntables, ovenware, crystal glass, mirrors and light bulbs cannot be recycled as the chemicals in them prevent them from melting at the same temperature as bottles and jars.
Energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or a CFL bulb for 20 hours.
Glass is one of the longest-lasting man-made materials, and can harm the environment if not recycled. Glass can take 4,000 to one million years to break down in a landfill.
Recycled glass is sorted by colour, as the different colours result from different components.
Glass produced from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 per cent and water pollution by 50 per cent.