The present invention relates to a method for treating fragments of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) in which glass shards are encrusted in or on the surface of the PVB. The method involves placing PVB fragments in contact with an aqueous solution comprising a cationic surfactant and a weak base, to obtain a mixture. This mixture, subjected to ultrasound within a defined temperature range, leads to separation of the glass shards and the PVB.
In particular, the inventors have discovered that the combined, simultaneous, and complementary action of a weak base, a cationic surfactant, and ultrasound, at an appropriate temperature, made it possible to detach and/or unembed the glass shards fixed to the collected PVB without degrading the polymer matrix.