Our Cruncher "converts” your bottles back into silica-free sand. The sand can be sifted into a number of different size fractions that can be used for various applications. The sand that comes out of the Cruncher has no sharp edges and is therefore not a hazard to tyres, bare feet and hands, and the environment.
The main market for crushed glass is the shot blasting industry. Traditional materials for on-site shot blast cleaning of steelwork are metal slags, olivine garnet or even sand. However, the use of sand as a dry blast abrasive is an illegal practice in Europe and America
The main component of glass is silica sand. Crystalline silica can cause silicosis when inhaled but the glass manufacturing process destroys crystalline silica and all the silica is bound within the glass matrix. Therefore, unlike sand, it is safe to use and any dust generated is free of crystalline silica and is classified merely as a “nuisance dust”.
Copper slag, a widely used abrasive for shot blasting, is a waste product of the copper smelting industry. There are serious concerns about the heavy metals (copper, nickel and lead) present in the slag and the impacts these could have on environmentally sensitive areas, such as aquatic habitats.
These concerns are reflected by the regulations covering the disposal of the material. Once used as a shot blast abrasive, copper slag is classified as a “special waste”. There are strict rules about how the spent slag must be handled which increases its disposal costs.
The process of crushing the glass into a usable, environmental friendly product, takes the strain off our ever expanding landfill sites, creates employment and is a simple and profitable form of recycling. The crushed glass sand can be used in any application where normal river sand is used.
