Sustainability services
Combustion processes
Through our in-house knowledge and wide network of academic and industrial partners we can help optimise your melting and downstream processes to minimise energy usage.
Recycling
Our predecessor, the British Glass Industry Research Association has been involved in the UK recycling system since its inception in the 1970s. We have also led numerous projects in both the UK and abroad to increase closed loop recycling and find alternative markets for unsuitable cullet destined for landfill.
Waste reduction
Our team has carried out waste and energy audits for the global glass supply chain and can provide advice on how to reduce waste in your process.
Waste heat recovery
Our emissions testing team can carry out surveys and analyses of your waste gas streams and advise on the potential for heat recovery systems. We have been involved in several projects to develop new technologies in this field but are not linked to any equipment providers so can offer impartial advice.
Optimising manufacturing processes
Our multidisciplinary expertise, decades of glass industry experience, and technical facilities enable us to support your organisation to increase the sustainability of your glass products. For example, reducing the carbon footprint of a bottle, and advising on implementing the latest manufacturing technologies to reduce waste.
Environmental areas of improvement for the wider glass industry
Increasing recyclability / circular economy
More work needs to be done to increase national and international recycling rates of glass packaging to move towards a truly circular economy. Glass can be recycled endlessly back into new bottles and jars, so it makes both environmental and economic sense to further increase its recyclability.
Alternative fuels / raw materials
The glass industry must consider how waste products from manufacturing processes can be better utilised to maximise efficiency. As part of this, we have developed a method to use industrial wastes as secondary raw materials. As the project lead, we have taken it from laboratory concept through to industrial scale trials.
Recycled content
When old glass is recycled into new glass, energy savings are made as there is less demand for virgin raw materials. In fact, recycling a tonne of glass into new bottles and jars saves 580kg of CO2 emissions. The average amount of recycled content for glass packaging in the UK is 50%, so the industry needs to look for innovative ways to increase this percentage.
Environmental design
Product design has a significant impact on the sustainability credentials of glass products. For example, lightweighting can be utilised to reduce the amount of raw materials needed for products. This has a knock-on effect and limits the amount of resources and energy required in the manufacturing process. We can offer advice and modelling capabilities to reduce the environmental footprint of your products.
Sustainability leadership and expertise
Our diverse team are experts in glass and the perfect partner to provide advice about sustainable manufacturing and the circular economy.
Dr Nick Kirk
Areas of expertise:
Chris Holcroft
Areas of expertise:
Martyn Marshall
Areas of expertise:
