When discussing green products "cradle to cradle" packaging is often discussed. What does cradle-to-cradle mean? Cradle to Cradle is a phrase coined by Walter R. Stahel in the 1970s, it became popular in 2002 thanks to the book titled Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things written by William McDonough and Michael Braungart.
What is Cradle to Cradle?
\"Energy Efficiency\"
According to William McDonough and Michael Braungart, in cradle to cradle production all elements are viewed as either a technical nutrient or a biological nutrient. In their model, cradle to cradle, technical nutrients can be recycled or reused with no loss of quality and the biological nutrients can be either composted or consumed.
Why Glass?
In a world filled with plastic and paper packaging, glass still remains the most readily recyclable container on the market. Unlike other container such as plastic which are " downcycled" from food grade products to lower grades, glass can be recycled an infinite number of times. In cradle to cradle terms glass is compromised of 100% technical nutrients or is 100% recyclable and reusable.
Glass is actually so pure it does not require any additional processing to recycle and it can be used for the packaging of food and beverages again and again. Starting from the time you properly recycle a glass container it is possible the same raw glass can return to your local supermarket shelf in as little as four weeks time.
Choosing Glass Saves Energy
Did you know? Recycling a single glass bottle saves enough energy to power:
- A 60-watt light bulb for four hours
- A Computer for thirty minutes
- A Television for twenty minutes
Consider this, O-I, a large scale glass recycler, recycles over 5 million tons of glass a year. O-I estimates the total amount of energy they save yearly through glass recycling could power the all the streetlights in the New York City metro area for an entire year If our manufacturers offered more glass containers that were in turn properly recycled, what else could we provide power for?
The Importance of Recycling
By recycling your glass containers you save both energy and raw materials. You also prevent the greenhouse gas emissions that would be created when new glass is created from raw materials, as well as reduce landfill waste. Thanks to the purity of glass, 1 ton of recycled glass is equivalent to 1 ton of raw materials to manufacture new glass - there is no loss of materials when properly recycled.
The Dangers of Single-Stream Recycling
While it's clear to many that recycling glass is important to energy conservation efforts, many municipalities are still moving towards "single-stream" recycling. While it is true that single-stream recycling has been shown to boost overall recycling statistics it does not properly separate glass by color, and as such it effectively reduces the cradle to cradle qualities of glass. Unless glass is separated by color it is not being properly recycled.
If you live in an area that only offers single-stream recycling, I encourage you to separate your glass and recycle it yourself. Single-stream recycling is growing in popularity, so there is a good possibility your area has already signed up.
Glass Waste
Understanding how valuable glass in comparison to other packaging material it becomes frightening to consider the amount of glass we simply throw away each year. In the United States, we send more then 11 million tons of glass to landfills each year. That's more than twice what O-I actively recycles each year. To put it into a more personal perspective that about 500 lbs of glass each US citizen simple throws away each year.
Due to its cradle to cradle nature, glass, should be our packaging of choice. While it may be more expensive to transport because of it's weight when in comparison to plastic or paper packaging the infinite lifespan it offers greatly outweighs any short term costs. Recycling isn't just environmentally smart it's also economically sound. According to a study by George Goldman, a UC Cooperative Extension economist, "Recycling generates twice as much income and sales and twice as many jobs as trash disposal." Do your part to fight global warming by first purchasing glass packaged products and then properly recycling them.
Energy Efficiency - Cradle to Cradle Recycling with Glass
Sam Greyhawk is an energy efficiency evangelist working with Cool-N-Save(tm), an Energy Star Partner, based in Huntington Beach, California.
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