[greenyes] Glass recycling analysis

[CUYLER Alex D <Alex.D.CUYLER@no.address>]

Hi All:  I don't believe anybody has mentioned one of the benefits of
utilizing recycled glass from the perspective of a glass plant.   The way I
understand it is that it is not so much the energy saved by using glass but
the extension in the life expectancy of the furnace that is the attractive
factor in choosing to use used glass.  Apparently, recycled glass melts at a
slightly lower temperature than sand, which translates into running the
furnaces slightly cooler, which means they can extend the useful life of the
furnaces because they don't burn up so quickly.

I have no idea how much a glass furnace costs, but I can imagine that it is
tens of millions of dollars, making the investment in recycled glass
functional in terms of replacement costs, depreciation, etc. -- AC

Alex Cuyler
Recycling and Solid Waste Specialist
City of Eugene Planning and Development Department
phone: (541) 682-6830 
fax:      (541) 682-6806