There are plenty of reasons to choose laminated glass. It is great for safety because it makes the units stronger and ensures they won’t shatter. Plus, it can benefit performance by reducing heat gain and loss. However, there is a potential drawback when it comes to recycling. We want to take a look at this here. Then, if you need solutions like recyclable foils and films, you can come to us.
What is the issue?
The major problem with laminated glass is the relatively poor levels of recycling. Some products mean it is difficult to recycle the units after application of the foil or film. In other cases the users simply believe the materials are no longer recyclable because of the addition.
The truth is, it is both possible and preferable to recycle laminated glass. There are even cases where you can reuse it to create new units instead of discarding it.
Improving the recycling is crucial for a very important reason; many of the raw materials are becoming harder to find. You need a number of resources to make glass. This includes sand, calcium carbonate or lime, and sodium carbonate. All three have limited supplies.
What to do?
There are a number of options for recycling laminated glass. It is even easier with the use of recyclable foils or films because they are so thin.
The main option here is to recuperate the glass as cullet after crushing it. There are some technical limitations here, but experts can overcome it.
Another option is to reuse the panes. There is a famous case study about it from 2012. Lloyd’s were looking to renovate their iconic HQ in London. However, the property had unique glazing. It was known as “Sparkle glass”. The panes had a texture and special coating to control solar gain.
During the renovation the decision was made to re-use or recycle the materials. A strategy was ultimately chosen to do the former. The process was to remove the glazing, cut the glass, rework the edges, and use it in new units. It was the first huge case of reusing laminated glass.
The benefits
Improving the recycling would be fantastic for saving resources and helping the environment. It could avoid as much as 925,000 tonnes of waste going to landfill every year. That would save over 1.23 million tonnes of raw material. This would include a huge amount of sand.
In addition, it would have a massive impact on the environment. Glass takes a very long time to break down in landfill. So, the ongoing impact is huge. Recycling or reuse would be much better. Plus, it would save a huge amount of carbon emissions from obtaining the raw materials and creating new glass.
Do you want to use recyclable foils or films?
At Foiling Services, we help clients to choose foil and film without a worry about recycling in the future. The products we have access to can be recycled with ease. They are from some of the best manufacturers in the world, and you can also recycle the waste too.
So, if you would like to learn more about recyclable foils and films, please contact us. They could be the perfect option for various projects.