Syklo now accepts flat glass – recycling glass is an environmentally responsible choice
Recycling flat glass is now possible with Syklo. Recycled flat glass can be recovered, for example, as material for foam or insulated glass. Recycling is worthwhile because it prevents recoverable glass from ending up in landfills. Flat glass used as recovered material also reduces emissions from the glass industry.
Syklo now offers its customers the opportunity to recycle flat glass. Flat glass refers to, for example, glass panes, windscreens, and glass with plastic film inside. Contrary to what one might expect, the film does not affect the recyclability of the material.
“Among other things, we accept glass panes and windscreens, but not, for example, wired safety glass with an iron mesh inside,” states Laura Kemppainen, customer relations manager at Syklo.
Syklo’s customer relations manager Laura Kemppainen.
According to the Finnish association of Flat Glass (Suomen tasolasiyhdistys), glass recycling has been considered challenging (in Finnish), despite being possible in Finland for the past twenty years. Kemppainen believes the challenge lies not in recycling flat glass itself, but in finding a conveniently located recycling facility.
“Finland is a long country. Sometimes people feel that the location of a recycling facility is geographically challenging,” Kemppainen describes.
Syklo wants to offer a solution to this problem. Syklo aims to provide local waste collection companies with convenient access to a nearby recycling facility. Companies can deliver glass in small batches to Syklo, where it is then consolidated and forwarded to the glass collection partner, Uusioaines, through centralised logistics.
Recycled flat glass can be recovered
What happens to the glass brought to Syklo? Unlike plastic pipes, for example, flat glass is not treated and processed by Syklo. Instead, it is separated from other waste streams and sent to Uusioaines for further processing. Uusioaines processes and recycles the flat glass, turning it into industrial raw material or using it in the manufacture of foam glass.
According to the Finnish association of Flat Glass, using recycled flat glass consumes 30% less energy compared to using virgin raw materials and significantly lowers carbon dioxide emissions. Recycling flat glass is therefore an environmentally responsible choice, as it keeps recyclable material out of landfills and reduces emissions in the glass industry by reusing recycled glass.
“We want to do our part by promoting the recycling of glass materials as well,” Kemppainen concludes.