It may seem odd to state that the world is running out of sand, we have an abundance of sand in the Sahara desert and in Australia 20% of the land is desert. So why say that the world’s supply of sand is depleting?
In 2023 we consumed over 50 billion tonnes of sand for different uses, mostly in the construction industry as sand is used in creating concrete but also in the making of window glass and other types of glass.
The big problem is that the sand in the Sahara desert is completely useless. Desert sand is eroded by wind which makes the sand grains smooth and rounded, not ideal for concrete or glass manufacturing. What you want is sand grains with a more irregular shape, these kinds of grains can be found in riverbeds, at beaches and in lakes. That’s because the grains have been eroded by water rather than wind.
This kind of sand is finite, and is depleting rapidly. At the current consumption rate experts believe that the world will run out of “usable” sand by 2050. The depletion of sands at riverbeds and in lakes also have dreadful consequences on the environment and the local population. The loss of beaches hurt the local economies and increases the risk of flooding. It can also destroy much of the biodiversity of a region as it destroys the habitats of many species.
With sand becoming a scarce resource many countries have taken tough stances of sand exploitation. Malaysia banned sea sand exportation to different countries in 2019 and Vietnam cut its sea sand sales by 30% in 2018.
But we have to do more, instead of using virgin sand to create products such as glass we need to increase the rate at which we use recycled materials in the production of new products. Industries are currently looking for ways to recycle products that use sand in the production to help reduce the consumption of new sand.
This is where companies such as WindowGlass Recycling play a critical role. Our technology offers an efficient alternative for window glass recycling which enables more flat glass to be recycled and reused. Instead of using virgin sand in flat glass production, we can now reuse old flat glass and reduce our dependence on raw material extraction. This is how we solve our times biggest problems, through innovation.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Lucas Rundén
Chief Marketing Officer
WindowGlass Recycling
Email: lucas@windowglass.se
About WindowGlass Recycling Sweden AB: WGR specializes in the development and sale of machines for circular window recycling. Our mission is to provide innovative solutions that promote environmental sustainability and support a circular economy.
For additional information, visit our website at www.windowglass.se or follow us on LinkedIn at WindowGlass Recycling AB.