The diagram illustrates the various stages involved in the production and recycling of glass containers such as bottles. Overall, each process comprises several distinct steps, with glass production involving four stages, starting with the mixing of raw materials and concluding with the formation of glass containers, while glass recycling consists of five stages, beginning with the collection of used glass and ending with the moulding of new products.
In the glass production process, raw materials including sand, soda ash, limestone, and other chemicals are first mixed together. This mixture is then fed into a glass furnace where it is heated to approximately 1500°C to melt. The molten glass is subsequently shaped by blowing to form various glass containers such as bottles.
The glass recycling process starts with the collection of used glass, which is then sorted by color. Following this, the glass is washed to remove impurities. The cleaned glass is then crushed and melted down, before being moulded into new products, thereby completing the recycling process.