Glass As A Waste Material: Classification, Conformity Tests & Sources Of Uncertainty

Two years after entrance into force of the European Directives on waste & waste landfill disposal, it might be useful to give some advice on how problems related to the classification, disposal & reuse of glass waste should be faced. European conformity tests were reviewed beside the current legislation, & the parameters that are unanimously considered as most critical, such as contact time, solid/liquid ratio and pH of the extractant, were highlighted. It was found that the analytical variability of a sample assumed as homogeneous at the origin was in fact higher than 100%. The sampling procedure would then become absolutely critical when the results of the conformity tests are to be compared with enforced limit values.