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Glass bottles and jars are made of a mix of sand, soda ash and limestone. These minerals are blended and melted in a glass furnace at over 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The molten glass is molded and blown into specific shapes and then cooled to make the container resistant to breakage.
Glass has been recycled since the times of the earliest settlers and continues today. Glass bottles and jars are 100 percent recyclable and are a true symbol of recycling in that they can be made into new bottles and jars over and over again. After the glass is sorted by color at the recycling center, the glass is shipped to a glass benefication plant, where it is crushed and purified into "cullet" or uniform sized pieces of glass. Glass cullet melts at a lower temperature than raw material, so recycling glass saves energy as well as natural resources.
Approximately two thirds of glass bottles and jars are made of flint glass (also known as clear or white), with amber (brown) making up about 20 percent and green glass the remainder. Each glass container manufacturer has their own set of specifications (which are akin to recipes), which are very intolerant to contamination.
To successfully recycle glass in Keene, please follow these simple steps:
1) Remove all caps and lids.
2) Empty containers completely, rinse and drain.
3) Labels can remain on containers.
Acceptable Glass
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Not Acceptable Glass
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The "Not Acceptable Glass" items have different chemical compositions than container glass and do not melt at the same temperature. Even a small amount of contamination can ruin a whole truckload of glass bottles and jars unfit for recycling. When in doubt, ask.
One interesting technology on the horizon is a glass coloring, whereby all glass is "clear" and a color is added to the glass on the outside. Any color in the rainbow can be produced and the color is burned off in the recycling process. Use of this technology would eliminate the need to separate glass by color, while maintaining one of the critical purposes of glass coloring (aside from marketing), protecting the integrity of the product from the sun's rays.
Note: Charlie says - "Things taste better in glass."
Duncan Watson is the solid waste coordinator
for the Keene Public Works Department.