| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 98 13:11 WET DST From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Recycling glass bottles (Paul Voss)
July 27, 1998
Dear Paul Voss,
The common sense answer is that there is no viable market for recycled glass bottles in less developed countries because virgin glass making is not an expensive proposition, because recycled glass is not a valuable commodity, and, to quote the US EPA market study MARKETS FOR RECOVERED GLASS (12/92):
The transportation of cullet from the collection point to the glass plant. . is rarely more than 50 miles. . . the farther the cullet must be shipped, th4e less profitable it is for the recycler. . . Consequently, little movement of cullet between regions occurs, allowing the price of cullet to differ greatly by region.
As to studies, the Clean Washington Center, now the CWC had a database of Glass Markets but this was chiefly product applications. They still have a website.
The other one of note is Markets for Waste Glass in the New York Region by Resource Management Associates, Napa CA in 5/92 for Office of Recycling Market Development, Dept. of Economic Development, Albany, NY. Perhaps it wasn't within a regional study's scope, but I can't recall export even being considered by that otherwise rather thoroughgoing study.
- Research Library for RCRA