Philadelphia recyclers transform filthy discarded glass into ‘ultra lightweight’ rock

United States – Have you ever heard of foamed glass aggregate? Philadelphia-based company AeroAggregates produces this special material, which is very strong despite weighing 80% less than natural aggregates such as stone. This ‘ultra lightweight’ material is made from 100% mixed post-consumer recycled glass that is often simply sent to landfill.

AeroAggregates invested US$ 10 million into its glass recycling facility so far this year. Applications for the recycled material include insulation, bridge abutments and frost protection for roads.

Using the lightweight material is a notable step forward, it is claimed, as municipal recycling programs spend more than 100 million each year to get rid of unwashed, mixed glass bottles and jars handed in by citizens.

While glass aggregates are no stranger to European businesses, company ceo Archi Filshill points out that the US market is not that familiar with it yet. He hopes this may soon change now local legislators in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and New York have all given a green light for various construction projects.

The Langley Avenue reconstruction project at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia has nearly been completed, the businessman adds.

Filshill notes that researchers at Drexel University and Lafayette College are investigating the properties of foamed glass aggregate in, for example, lightweight concrete.