OTWO Magazine March 2020 | Page 44

ECO PARK GLASS Written by Sarah Birch The third in our recycling series in conjunction with the Eco-Park will look at the journey our glass recy- cling makes. Fortunately, glass is a highly recyclable material which can be recycled indefinitely without it losing its quality or purity. It can be turned into new glass containers, windows, glass beads for in- dustrial purposes and fibre glass. Before the 1970s, bottled drinks were already popular but where packaged in glass, steel or alumi- nium cans, but from 1973, PET plastic (Polyethylene terephthalate) became a lightweight and cheap al- ternative that revolutionised the packaged drink and food industry. Bottled water was widely marketed as a safer and healthier alternative to tap water and by 2017, a million single-use plastic bottles were sold globally per second. But now, with more aware- ness of the impact that our plastic dependency has on the environment, companies and retailers are now turning to glass to meet their packaging needs. So where possible, try to choose alternatives like glass instead of plastic, and make sure to reuse and recycle them. 1.- After your glass items are left in the appropriate recycling bins, it is collected 3-4 times a week and transported to the Eco Park. 2.- Once it arrives at the Eco-Park, the glass is un- loaded into a large pit. 3.- When the pit is full and there is enough to trans- port, the glass is loaded into trucks. This usually ha- ppens once a month and on average the amount of glass weighs 25 tonnes. 4.- Export permits and an Annex VII (European Docu- ment for the Exportation through a border of non-ha- 42 zardous waste) are applied for at least 24 hours be- fore the materials are due to be transported. 5.- The following day the glass is then transported to the Camacho recycling facility in Malaga for treatment. 6.- Glass items are sorted by colour and type and then washed to remove impurities. The glass is then crushed and melted and finally, moulded into new products. DO’S • Make sure glass bottles and containers that have contained food or other liquids are cleaned before throwing them into recycling. If the glass is too con- taminated to be cleaned properly at the recycling facility it will be sent to landfill. • Remove any paper labels, plastic, metal lids or corks from glass bottles or jars DON’TS • Throw glass bottles or containers away that are full of drink or food, empty them before putting them into recycling • Throw ceramics such as plates or tiles in with glass. It will not be recycled and may cause glass mixed with ceramics to be sent to landfill • Place glass in to bags with other mixed recycling items or put them into the wrong recycling bins. Se- parating items is extremely important, as any bags with mixed items will not be sorted, ending up in land fill. • Throw bags with household waste, even if it contains glass, into recycling bins. Not only will it not be recy- cled, but it can contaminate the rest of the recycling. OTWO 08 / MARCH 2020 OTWO 08 / MARCH 2020 43