Development & Challenges

In 1974, the oil crisis marked a turning point for the glass industry, bringing about huge opportunities for glass craftsmen. By 1975, Taiwan's economy stabilized its growth, and the market for waste glass showed great promise. Seizing the opportunity, Wu acquired over 600 pings of land to store recycled glass. Despite this progress, the business faced another downturn in 1978, with severe stagnation in the waste glass market. To adapt, the company expanded its storage capacity, acquiring an additional 3,000 ping of land to manage the growing surplus of waste glass. Over the years, Spring Pool Glass grew into the processing center for hundreds of millions of recycled waste glass. A few other branch companies and plans, such as the Spring Pool Glass Factory, Tai Bao Glass Corporation, and I-Hsin Glass Technology Corporation, were also developed. Currently, Spring Pool Glass is spearheading the W Glass Project, which combines the recycling of waste glass with the craftsmanship of glass products. This legacy of innovation and environmental consciousness ensures that Spring Pool Glass continues to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the glass industry.

The glass recycling process at Spring Pool Glass begins with the safe collection and transportation of waste glass, followed by sorting, color separation, and temporary storage. Approximately 90% of all waste glass is colorless, while the others are colored. Most of the colored glass comes in two colors, green from liquor, and brown from ginger duck stews and soju chicken. Afterward, impurities are removed from the glassware, and the glass is thoroughly cleaned before undergoing coarse crushing and fine grinding to achieve the desired texture. The material is then size-screened to ensure uniformity, resulting in a high-quality recycled glass cullet. Finally, the processed glass is packaged and stored, ready for use in various applications.