Jar Wars

If you're a normal consumer like me, you probably purchase on average a product in a glass jar or bottle at least twice month.

What do you do with your glass jars and bottles? Do you throw them away in the bin? Do you recycle them?

Have you ever wondered what happens to these things once they are just 'thrown away'? Probably not. It doesn't usually phase normal consumers with what happens to their rubbish.

Here is one of many sites that explains what happens with our rubbish after we chuck it in the bin: http://store.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/historic/otherpub/reports/Vol08No05b/garbage


Glass is a resource.
I want to bring up glass jars/containers in my second post because I feel these are one of the most consumed products that can be easily re-used and recycled.

Personally, I re-use my glass in place of plastic Tupperware.
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Did you know glass is made of powdered limestone sand and sodium carbonate (i.e. sand)? Modern life cannot be possible without glass. It is the mirror you look at every morning, the windows in your car, the lightbulb in every room; holds your cold drinks; glass is around us everywhere.
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Why re-use glass jars, bottles and containers?!
* They would otherwise end up in landfills. It takes a glass bottle about 1 million years to break down in a landfill.
* The amount of energy and resources used to create glass bottles from recycled materials is less than the amount needed to create bottles from virgin materials. Less energy means less pollution.


Ideas:
You can use the smaller jars/containers to hold jam, sugar, tea bags, candle, jewellry, loose coins, pencil and stationary holder, use instead of a normal drinking glass, etc.
You can use medium sized jars/containers to hold coffee, oils, plants, flour, cookies and other baked goods, liquid soap, etc.
You can use large sized jars/containers to hold fresh water, pasta, rice, loose confectionary, juices and other consumables, leftovers, use as a household decoration (i.e. put seashells or potpourri), etc.

You can personalise it too and use it as a gift!



Think twice before you throw away your glass. If you are going to throw it away, please put it in the recycling bin so it can be melted and re-used by the city. Using recycled glass to make new glass saves money and reduces air pollution, such as fly ash and nitrogen oxides (NOX), that can be toxic to the environment.