Reducing the Discard of Windscreens

Many may think that glass is just glass and it can be recycled. The truth is, almost all windscreens we see today are of the laminated type - two layers of glass with a polyvinyl butyral film in between. It is this plastic film that renders windscreen glass non recyclable - or at least not economically feasible. Hence the only way to dispose of unwanted windscreens is to dump them into the earth.

Sadly, this windscreen glass does not biodegrade. It stays in the earth for centuries! In just one state in the US, Oregon to be precise there are already 30 million metric tones of windscreen glass in landfills. We would all agree that trees don't grow on glass.  The manufacture of windscreens itself consumes a huge amount of energy. It generates considerable mining waste and air pollutants as well. So each windscreen you discard, also means having to get a new one installed creating new demand for increased manufacturing.

Entrepreneur Yeoh Eng Hui from Glass Mechanic Sdn Bhd tells us why he saw a business opportunity in Malaysia eight years ago.