The illustration depicts the process by which used glass bottles are recycled and converted into new ones.
This is a man-made process consisting of nine distinct stages, beginning with the disposal of used bottles and ending when the recycled bottles are used again, forming a continuous loop. Water and heat are used at certain stages to clean and reshape the glass.
The process starts when consumers dispose of used glass bottles in recycling bins.
These bottles are then collected and transported to a recycling facility. At this point, they are washed. Once clean, the bottles are sorted by colour into categories such as green, brown and clear. Following this, they are crushed into small pieces in preparation for melting.
Next, the crushed glass is heated in a furnace until it melts. This molten material is then poured into bottle-shaped moulds during the shaping stage. Once the bottles have cooled and solidified, they are distributed for use. In the final stage, the newl formed bottles are used by consumers, which restarts the recycling cycle.