Glass bottled mineral water is a sustainable and quality choice for consumers seeking an environmentally friendly alternative to single-use plastic bottles. However, in order for this option to be truly sustainable, it is essential to understand the recycling process of glass bottles and theimportance of the returnable packaging (RVAC). Let’s look in detail at how the recycling of glass bottles used for mineral water takes place, the importance of VAR and the benefits of this practice as well as the care consumers should take to ensure proper disposal.
How a glass bottle is born
To create a glass bottle, a natural material that can be 100 percent recycled without affecting its quality, sodium carbonate, limestone and sand are mixed together with recycled glass and the mixture is heated to very high temperatures. Next, the molten mixture is poured over a layer of molten tin and allowed to cool slowly to an optimal processing temperature. The glass is then subjected to an annealing process that removes internal stresses. After cooling, it is carefully checked for quality, cleaned and, where necessary, labeled before being filled. Finally, the bottle is stacked, stored and transported for final consumption.
The process of recycling glass bottles
The glass bottle recycling process is critical to ensuring the sustainability of this packaging option. Empty bottles are collected through separate collection programs or at appropriate recycling facilities. Once transported to recycling facilities, they are separated from unwanted materials and cleaned to remove any residual water or labels. Next, the bottles are ground into small fragments. These are then melted at extremely high temperatures to create new glass. This recycled glass can be used to produce a wide range of new glass products, including new mineral water bottles. In this way, the life cycle of glass bottles becomes a closed loop, minimizing environmental impact and promoting sustainability. Melting glass that has already been used therefore requires significantly less energy consumption than melting primary raw materials. Suffice it to say that for every 10% of glass used, the amount of energy used is reduced by 3% and the amount of CO2 emissions by 7%. (source Vetropack.com)
The importance and benefits of the returnable vacuum
Returnable-returnable packaging (RVAC) is a system that promotes the return of empty bottles to manufacturers for reuse. This system is key to ensuring a circular economy and minimizing the environmental impact of glass bottles. Through VAR, empty bottles are collected from consumers and returned to producers, who clean, sterilize, and reuse them to bottle new mineral water. The VAR system offers a number of both environmental and economic benefits. Environmentally, it reduces the need to produce new glass bottles, helping to conserve natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of new glass. In addition, VAR reduces the waste stream going to landfills, helping to promote more sustainable waste management. Economically, it enables manufacturers to save on production costs and reduce dependence on virgin raw materials. Not only that, the return of empty bottles allows manufacturers to maintain tighter control over the quality of the material and ensure greater food safety for consumers.
In conclusion, glass bottled mineral water is a sustainable and quality choice for conscious consumers. However, for this option to be truly sustainable, it is essential to understand the recycling process and the importance of returnable packaging. In fact, minimizing contamination of the bottle, for example with oils or detergents, before it is returned to the farm can result in a significant reduction in the use of chemicals for sterilization and cleaning, as well as energy and water savings. Choosing glass bottled mineral water is a concrete way to promote sustainability, maintain a long-term circular economy, and help preserve the environment for future generations.
