The small glass bottles of perfume and cosmetics have being recycled instead of ending their life on the landfill. In the Beloslavskiy glass factory “Inhom” they used them to produce heat- and sound-proofing concretes. The production is carried out by experimental technology, developed jointly by the Institute of Metal Science, Facilities and Technologies and the Center for Hydro and Aerodynamics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
The enterprise is the only one in the country currently using this type of technology. It allows the processing of small glass bottles of perfume which are not normally recycled due to contamination and the presence of metal or plastic parts.
Unlike other technologies, the experimental machine in Beloslav does not separate the glass by color, wash it or remove any residual plastic and metal. In small quantities, this type of impurity does not affect the quality of the foam glass produced, explains Inhom manager Danko Kalchev.
Generally, the production process goes through four stages – crushing the glass, grinding it into flour, converting it to granular material, and through the production line to granules.
The foam glass made from recycled bottles is the most durable of all known thermal insulation materials. It is moisture resistant, non-combustible and environmentally friendly and sanitary (not a nutrient medium for mushrooms, molds and micro-organisms). The guaranteed period of use of foam glass, in which its physical characteristics do not change, is more than 100 years. This is also determined by the characteristics of the glass, which is practically not decomposed in nature. It can only change its physical properties under the influence of ultraviolet rays or radiation. At the same time, 40% less energy is used for recycling than for new generation. That is why it is so important that glass waste does not fall into the landfill where it is eternal.
Translator: Valentina Vagge