GLASS: 3 Essential Facts

Have you ever wondered what goes into making your glass food packaging?

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1. What glass is made of

Container glass is manufactured using 3 basic raw materials: sand, soda ash and limestone, along with some other minor ingredients and is known as soda-lime-silica glass or SLS for short. The composition is illustrated here, although each manufacturer will have a slightly different recipe.

Sand forms the main constituent of glass. The soda is added to help it melt at lower temperatures; and the limestone is added to give durability. When these are melted together they form a viscous liquid that can be formed into an endless variety of shapes which, when cooled, form an amorphous rigid solid.

2. Glass Protects Food or Drink Content

Glass is impermeable and non-porous, so it protects the food or beverage inside from chemicals seeping in. Glass is odourless, flavourless and virtually inert, so it does not react with the contents, maintaining the product in the condition you want your customers to receive it. Glass is also usually transparent, displaying the contents of your product on the shelf. Occasionally you may want to protect the contents from the effects of light and glass can be coloured to achieve this.

3. Glass is Endlessly Recyclable

Glass can be endlessly recycled in a closed loop, as illustrated in the diagram below. Not only that but adding recycled glass, known as cullet, to the mix helps reduce the energy needed to melt the batch, reduce the amount of new raw materials required, reduce CO2 and reduce landfill.

essential facts

Aegg supplies off-the-shelf and bespoke glass bottles, jars and pots to retailers and food manufacturers.

To discuss your requirements, please get in touch.