- It has been estimated that there are about 100,000 cubic meters of broken glass and just over six thousand tonnes of lead, says Jonas Karlsson, who is the coordinator for the decontamination of the glass kingdom.

And the hopes with the new technology are that both glass and heavy metals will be recyclable.

- Hopefully it is possible to separate the lead from the glass, says Jonas Karlsson.

Good results

Attempts on a smaller scale have been made several times, and with good results.

- The environmental benefits are great if this works.

We will be able to clean the soil and create a non-toxic environment, so we do not have to extract resources to the same extent as we did before, says Jonas Karlsson.

Project focused on lead

The broken glass you intend to use is found in various places around the glassworks, partly buried in the ground, partly at landfills and also on piles.

- It will be possible to extract other metals as well.

By color sorting, cadmium must be removed.

But this particular research project is focused on lead.

It is at Glass factory in Boda that they will soon make a first attempt on a large scale to see if the method works.

And if you succeed, you have a lot to gain.

- We have had glass industries here in the region since the 18th century and the first environmental protection laws did not come until 1969. In some places, operations have been going on for several hundred years, so the need for remediation is great, says Jonas Karlsson.