With the ever-present effects of global warming and ecological issues growing on a large scale, industries are turning to sustainable materials that will lessen the effects.
One way we at Rinkit try to cut down our environmental impact is by choosing to work with the amazing industries that produce eco-friendly glassware.
What is Eco-Friendly Glassware and why should we choose it?
Glass is one of the best materials when it comes to being ‘green’. It is mostly recyclable and uses less energy to make from recycled glass than it does from the original raw materials. It’s important to make the most of recycling glass because when taken to landfill, glass takes the longest time to break down, requiring at least 1000 years to decompose.
Eco-friendly glassware usually consists of glass that has been made from recycled materials or made with sustainable technologies and renewable sources, therefore, being better for the planet.
Did you know that Australians recycle almost 1 million tonnes of glass each year, which means that 3.8 billion glass bottles are diverted from landfill? Incredible work!
Different choices of eco-friendly glassware
RCR Eco-friendly glassware
Our RCR brand is a green company that has one main goal; to manufacture glassware whilst committing to their research and investments into sustainable development and environmental issues. RCR uses advanced eco-friendly technologies and produces 100% electric furnaces.
The Luxion eco-friendly glassware collection from RCR is a crystal glass produced with electric furnaces with zero atmospheric discharge. In other words, they have found a way to make these stunning glasses without using bleaching or highly polluting agents, so they are good for the planet. Eco-crystal glass is a 100% recyclable material: not only are its production cullet glass fed back into the production process as raw materials, but only eco-crystal glass cullet can be recycled in RCR’s furnaces so as not to contaminate the quality of its material.
It is the first true Eco crystal material that can be 100% recycled in the glass market and so it’s no wonder it’s so popular!
La Verre Beldi Glassware
La Verre Beldi collection from the Nicola Spring is another brand we sell at Rinkit that focuses on sustainability. They provide eco-friendly glassware that has been made from 100% recycled glass. Each piece in the has been hand-blown in the heart of Marrakech, making each one unique.
They recycle two tons of flat glass and glass bottle wastes, melt it in a furnace heated to 1600 degree, and keep it at a temperature of 24 for 24 hours. The blown glasses are then cut by hand using an oxygen and gas flame. The debris goes back to the melting, while the glasses are placed in an annealed furnace for 3 hours. Then they are washed and transported to their storage location.
Our range of La Verre Beldi glasses come in clear, blue and green so you’re certain to find the right eco-friendly glassware for your home.
How do you Recycle glassware?
Glass is infinitely recyclable, but recycling starts in your home; when preparing glass to be recycled there are a few steps you need to do to ensure it is repurposed into eco-friendly glassware.
You should wash, rinse and dry glass carefully, ensuring it is separated from all other materials, including lids, caps, and bottle rings, however, labels do not need to be removed before recycling. A lot of waste management companies will provide a separate bin for glass.
It’s important to mention to only recycle bottles and jars, not windows or drinking glasses, as these are usually made from different materials. Also, do not recycle broken glass, instead carefully dispose of broken glass in your garbage bin.
When at the recycling plant, glass is sorted by colour, washed, and processed until it is clean and ready to be made into new glass- often it may be mixed with virgin glass material to produce the new end product.
It takes as little as 30 days for a recycled glass bottle to leave your kitchen recycling bin and appear on a store shelf as a new glass container. Significantly, the energy saved by recycling a single bottle could light a 15-watt low energy light bulb for 24 hours. Amazing!
ConcludeIt -
Eco-Friendly glassware is just one example of how companies and consumers can help tackle the detrimental effects of climate change, that are only increasing overtime. We have a long way to go on our journey to a more sustainable future but working with brands such as RCR and La Verre Beldi is a step in the right direction.
We will continue our mission and look at ways we can be kinder to the planet. As our national treasure, Sir David Attenborough, once said “The actions of just one of us may seem to be trivial and to have no effect. But the knowledge that there are thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who are doing the same thing – that does affect.”
I encourage you to look at your carbon footprint and how you can make small changes to reduce your impact on our planet.
I hope this blog has produced you with some insight into the process behind eco-friendly glassware, the recycled glassware that we offer at Rinkit, and how you can correctly recycle your glass at home.
As always, thank you for reading.
Love Georgina and the Rinkit Team.