REMADE ESSEX

Glass and Plastic Articles

Recycled Glass For Shot Blasting Fact Sheet

Recycled glass has successfully been used in wet and dry blasting in place of copper slag, garnet and sand on a variety of substrates including steel, aluminium and masonry.

The price of recycled glass is comparable to all of the traditional materials. Due to a lower bulk density there are more glass particles per unit weight, so you effectively get more for your money.

There are no special disposal costs of recycled glass, unlike copper slag. This could be the biggest financial benefit of using recycled glass.

Recycled glass as a shot blasting abrasive is non-toxic and inert, unlike copper and other metal slags that contain heavy metal residues, which can be harmful to the environment, particularly plant life. 

2.6 million tonnes of glass are landfilled each year. Only 600,000 tonnes are recycled. There is a huge surplus of green glass, due to an imbalance between production and collection. Shot blasting provides the opportunity to right this imbalance. · Recycled glass is a clean, safe to handle material. Recycled glass is crushed, cleaned and graded to produce a specified high purity abrasive media.

On Wednesday the 5th September 2001 a shot blasting demonstration, organised by ReMaDe Essex, took place under the Highbridge Road in Chelmsford. Halls Specialised Services of Horndon-on-the-Hill presented the demonstration, and were on hand afterwards to talk about the effectiveness of the product. Over 30 people attended. Representatives were invited from shot blasting companies, town centre managers, representatives of rail and bus companies, officers of the cleansing sections of the district and borough councils and shopping centre managers.

Melvin Caton, Programme Manager, ReMaDe Essex said "The event was organised to demonstrate that the use of crushed recycled glass as a shot blasting media to remove graffiti is a cost-effective alternative to traditional materials like copper slag. It is also a more appropriate and environmentally friendly option for bridges over rivers, as it doesn't pollute the watercourses." "ReMaDe Essex aims to help businesses by providing them with options for recycled alternatives to existing virgin materials and I am delighted that Halls Specialised Services have been able to demonstrate the success of the new process."

Further Information 
Available Grades Coarse 1-3 mm Medium 2- 0.5 mm Fine >0.5 mm Properties of Glass as an Abrasive: Bulk density 1,300kg/m3 Specific Gravity 2,500kg/m3 Hardness 6 mohs 

Health & Safety The COSHH report recommend the use of gloves when handling the crushed glass and state that there is no evidence to suggest that permanent damage is caused to the respiratory tract if inhaled in large quantities. 

Contact Details