cullet
Definition
- Noun:
- Crushed or broken glass: "cullet" refers to waste or broken glass that is collected and reused as a raw material in the manufacture of new glass products.
- Recycled glass material: In industrial contexts, "cullet" specifically denotes glass that has been crushed and sorted for remelting, reducing the need for raw ingredients.
Usage Examples
- (Broken glass used as raw material.)
- (Crushed or broken glass for recycling.)
- (The broken glass was processed into a liquid state.)
Advanced Usage
"Cullet addition": the process of adding crushed glass to a glassmaking batch.
- A high cullet addition rate can lower the melting temperature in the furnace. (Adding more recycled glass reduces energy costs.)
"Cullet sorting": the separation of cullet by color or composition.
- Proper cullet sorting ensures the final glass product has consistent quality. (Sorting broken glass by type prevents impurities.)
Variants and Related Words
Cullet-free (adj): describing glass made without recycled content.
- The art glass was cullet-free, using only pure silica and minerals. (Made entirely from raw materials.)
Cullet-rich (adj): containing a high proportion of recycled glass.
- The factory's cullet-rich mixture produced clear, strong bottles. (High in recycled content.)
Synonyms
- Broken glass: general term for shattered or fragmented glass.
- Waste glass: discarded glass material intended for recycling.
- Glass scrap: leftover or damaged glass pieces from manufacturing.
Related Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
Notes
- Cullet is a specialized term used mainly in glassmaking, recycling, and industrial contexts. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation.