Wed, Jun 18, 2008 page2

• Used glass shines amid high costs of raw materials

  • By Meggie Lu / STAFF REPORTER
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  Many Taipei drivers may have noticed that the asphalt surface on Zhishan Road in Shilin District (士林) glitters when reflecting the light, but few may know that the sparkle comes from recycled glass particles, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.

  “Glass is a material that can be reused almost 100 percent, since it contains few impurities,” director of the EPA’s Recycling Fund Management Board, Lin Chien-huei (林建輝), said.

  Besides being blended into asphalt, recycled glass particles can also be mixed into bricks and tiles to make lightweight, but strong, building materials, Lin said. It can also be made into decorative mosaic tiles or glass beads.

  “In the past year, because prices for raw materials have been on the rise, recycled glass particles are becoming more and more sought after,” Lin said.

  Bottles made of recycled glass can be sold for NT$7 each, more than double the price of just a year ago, he said.

  In addition to the economical value of the recycled glass, reusing glass also means less carbon emissions, he said.

  “A recycled beer bottle saves 0.8 units of electricity, enough to light a 100-watt light bulb for four hours,” Lin said.

  Last year, 190,000 tonnes of glass, mostly old lighting fixtures, was collected by recyclers for reuse.

  “This saved about 18,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide and enough energy to provide electricity for 950,000 families for an entire month,” he said.

  Though the nation’s glass recycling rate is at an impressive 84 percent, Lin said there was still room for improvement.

  “Many farmers have complained to us that beer or energy drink bottles are often thrown into their crop fields, which is not only a waste of resources, but is also dangerous as glass shards often cut their hands or legs,” Lin said.

  In addition to throwing glass bottles into rice paddies or other public areas, some consumers fail to take their waste glass to recycling stations because they are either not aware of the importance of recycling or do not know where the recycling outlets are, he said.

  “Many local garbage trucks collect glass separately and people are encouraged to dispose of their glass there — if not, most supermarkets or convenience stores offer recycling services,” Lin said.
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