Repairing scratch & mineral damaged glass not only saves time and money, it benefits the environment too.
The UK glass manufacturing industry (one of the most environmentally conscious in the world) produces an average 10,137 tons of glass every day in the UK.
Each ton of glass manufactured produces 1.65 tons of CO2.
That equates to 16,726 tons of CO2 being released in the everyday and that's just in the UK.
Glass is a heavy commodity, so once you factor in its transportation after manufacture, the environmental impact is even greater. Greater still is the impact involved in the extraction, mining, refining and transportation of the raw materials used in the production of glass, none of which could be described as benign.
It is true that glass is being recycled more than ever before, with some producers claiming up to 45% of recycled glass (or cullet) being used in their products, and this is a great achievement.
Unfortunately, the glass most recycled is not that used in building or furniture, but that which holds your beer and wine - bottle glass. Construction glass normally ends up on landfill sites and is rarely reused in its original form.
We could harp on about the evils of glass manufacture and how it pollutes our environment, but that would be pointless. Glass is a necessity in the modern world and its benefits far outweigh its cost, both financially and environmentally.
Finished glass is inert and non-toxic. It is easy to clean and maintain, having a dense surface, which inhibits contamination. Glass is the prime ingredient in 'passive solar' designed buildings, that harness the heat of the sun to warm structures without the need for machine based heating and air conditioning.
Glass is also hugely versatile and provides quicker and cheaper building methods for modern construction. Just take a look around you and see how many buildings use glass as their primary component.
