Glass from Unburnable Trash to Circulating Insulation Material Conversion of Waste Glass into Insulation Material (1990s, Asahi Fiber Glass)

Glass from Unburnable Trash to Circulating Insulation Material Conversion of Waste Glass into Insulation Material (1990s, Asahi Fiber Glass)
In Japan in the 1990s, households and restaurants generated large quantities of glass bottles, placing a heavy burden on municipal waste disposal. Since glass cannot be incinerated and is heavy, it had to be disposed of by landfill. With the decrease in the use of returnable bottles and the increase in the use of one-way bottles, the amount of used glass has further increased, making the recycling of used glass an urgent issue.
Under these circumstances, Asahi Fiber Glass developed a technology to recycle waste glass into insulation material by crushing it, removing impurities, melting it, and processing it into fiber. The recycled heat insulating material is lightweight, easy to install, and flame-resistant, and it has become widely used as a heat insulator for homes.
The use of waste glass has reduced the use of natural resources such as silica sand mining, stabilized material costs, and contributed to the formation of a regional resource recycling model. This initiative is a symbolic example of recycling glass that would otherwise have gone to landfill into a building material that improves the energy-saving performance of homes, and was recognized as a pioneering practice in the formation of a recycling-oriented society.