Researchers Develop Sharp Solution for Waste Glass

A new process allowing glass bottles to be turned into everyday products could result in the storage of countless tonnes of glass till being recycled, which will conserve millions of tonnes of glass every year.

Glass can be recycled but is conventionally limited to large pieces that can be easily sorted based on color. Since the process of sorting fine particles is not worth the effort, they tend to be thrown out.

University of Queensland doctoral student Rhys Pirie and Professor Damien Batstone have developed a process that extracts liquid silicate from waste glass, making thousands of items, such as aerators, fertilizers, and concrete sealers, among others.

“We estimate the process is more than 50 percent cheaper than conventional ways of producing silicate,” Mr Pirie said.

“It requires less energy, raw materials, and capital, and that’s before you consider the reduced social and economic costs compared to landfilling material.”

Sharp solution for waste glass from The University of Queensland on Vimeo.

Since UQ’s system provides little waste, many of the glass that is left over is turned into profitable products. This could be the perfect solution to eliminate glass waste.

Mr Pirie began to look into utilizing old glass as a product after discussing the issue with his professor from UQ’s Advanced Water Management Centre, who specializes in turning waste into recycled goods.

“The transition towards circular economies is a movement which is gaining momentum and something I’ve always been interested in,” he said…

UniQuest, UQ’s commercialization firm, has filed a patent for the process and is seeking out trade partners.

Mr Pirie, who’s continuing with his doctoral dissertation on a nontoxic additive made from waste silicon, is now analyzing avenues for how the additive could be used on a large scale to boost fertilizer efficiency.

This research was funded by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation and the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

Photo credit: University of Queensland
Source: University of Queensland
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