Process for recovering, recycling and reusing a composite container

Claim 1

A process for the preparation of a coated annealed glass container and recovering, recycling and reusing the glass container in the manufacture of a further glass container comprising applying a film to at least a portion of the external surface of a previously annealed glass container; said film consisting essentially of a water removable thermoplastic organic polymer and having a thickness of at least 0.002 inch and sufficient to provide scratch and shatter resistance for the glass container and to retain broken glass fragments upon fracture of the glass container so as to reduce the incidence of accidental injury; said polymer being water soluble or dispersible and being selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene oxide), poly (propylene oxide), ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymers, polyvinyl-pyrrolidinone, polyethyleneimine, poly(methyl vinyl ether), polyacrylamide, polymethacrylamide, poly(vinyl acetate), polyvinyl formal, poly(alkyl methacrylates), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl hydroxypropyl cellulose, poly (acrylic acid) and salts thereof, poly(methacrylic acid) and salts thereof, ethyene-maleic anhydride copolymers, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymers, methyl vinyl ether-maleic anhydride copolymers, and emusifiable polyurethanes; subjecting at least said external surface of said film to an aqueous medium to remove said film therefrom and recovering, recycling and reusing said glass container in the manufacture of a further container.