How Glass Bottles Are Recycled

The diagram below shows the process by which used glass bottles are recycled into new ones. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The process is a cycle made up of seven stages. First, used glass bottles are collected from households and from bottle banks in public places. The collected glass is then transported by lorry to a recycling plant. At the plant, the glass is sorted by colour into clear, green and brown, and any items made of other materials, such as metal caps or plastic, are removed. The sorted glass is next washed to remove any remaining dirt, and then crushed into small pieces known as cullet. The cullet is melted in a furnace at a very high temperature, together with sand and other raw materials. Finally, the molten glass is poured into moulds to form new bottles, which are cooled, filled and sent back to shops, where the cycle can begin again.