Recycling
VitroPlus/Ziebart is the first national network to recycle windshields
This initiative started with a two month trial period. In spite of the limited resources that we have in Canada to recycle windshields. Largely due to VitroPlus/Ziebart’s persistence and commitment to sustainable development we finaly managed to develop an efficient and effective system that ensures the success of recycling.
Some statistics...
Every year in excess of 1,2 million windshields are replaced and thrown into landfills. Imagine! These windshields represent 14 times the superficy of the Montreal Island.
It is estimated that nearly 17,418 tons of automobile glass could be reintroduced into the consumption cycle and thus avoid filling landfills.
So why is recycling a windshield much more complex than simply recycling glass?
The windshield is composed of two layers of glass separated by a plastic film from PVB (polyvinyl butyral). In the event of a breakage, the pieces of glass will remain stuck to the plastic film to limit the risks of cuts or wounds. To recycle windshield glass, it is necessary to remove the plastic film from the glass. Year-to-date, the available resources to recycle the windshields are very limited and also very expensive.
What happens to the recycled windshields?
Glass is composed of 70% siliceous sand and has the property to be recycled endlessly. After it is recovered, it is crushed in grinders and then filtered to make cullet. Using this cullet reduces the energy needed to produce glass by approximately 25%.
The VitroPlus/Ziebart windshield recycling program allows the manufacturing of containers of glass and fiberglass as well as reduces the amount of raw materials required. Under no circumstances, it is used to manufacture recycled windshields.
