The diagram illustrartes the circular process of recycling glass bottles, showing how they are collected, processed and remade into new products.
Overall, it is a circular process including nine stages. The cycle begins with the disposal of used bottles by consumers and finishes with the delivery of new glass containers back to the market for reuse.
The first stage of the process involves individuals disposing of their used glass bottles into recycling bins. These bottles are then gathered by specialized collection trucks and transported to recycling plants. Upon arrival, the glass is washed to remove any contaminants. When the bottles are cleaned, they are sorted into three categories: green, clear and brown.
In the next stage, the sorted glass is going through a crushing machine to be broken down into small fragments. This crushed glass is then heated in a high-temperature furnace until it melts into liquid. This molten glass is then shaped into new bottles using molds. Finally, the newly manufactured bottles are loaded in delivery trucks for distribution to stores, where they are used again by the consumers, therefore, restarting the entire recycling circle.