The European Container Glass Federation (FEVE) has published the first comprehensive, industry-wide review of measures to decarbonise glass manufacturing and calls for rapid access to low-carbon energy infrastructure on the road to a net-zero industry.
The European container glass industry has today published its report „One Destination, Multiple Pathways: How the European Container Glass Industry is Decarbonising Glassmaking“ - the first comprehensive, industry-wide investigation into measures to decarbonise glassmaking. The report has a dedicated section on the FEVE website dedicated, including a Online map with over 90 case studies on decarbonisation projects from the glass industry across Europe. Even though the glass industry is actively driving this change, it cannot achieve its ambitious goals alone. It needs to work together to create packaging solutions that are not only fully recyclable but also climate-neutral.
Urgent need for affordable energy with low CO2-output
In order for the industry to achieve its net-zero target by 2050, the Rapid access to affordable low-carbon energy crucial. Currently, 80 per cent of direct CO2-emissions in the container glass industry from the combustion of natural gas. The switch to energy sources with low CO2-emissions is therefore a top priority. More than 90 per cent of the packaging glass produced in the EU is manufactured by companies that have committed to the „Science Based Targets“ initiative (SBTi).
EU support crucial
Access to new funding and the continuation of existing financial support measures are also essential to drive change in the industry. As furnaces have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years and an estimated annual replacement rate of only 7 to 10 per cent, old tanks must be gradually replaced by those that can work with low-carbon technologies. To ensure that the glass industry can achieve its net-zero target by 2050, it is essential to act now.
The container glass industry is currently investing more than 600 million euros annually in innovation and decarbonisation, such as efficiency-enhancing measures and plant modernisation. In order to achieve a completely net-zero industry an estimated 20 billion euros in additional investments by 2050 required for the modernisation of production technology and decarbonisation. This is a conservative estimate that does not yet take into account the higher operating costs for the acquisition and utilisation of low-carbon energy sources.
Trust in glass for a sustainable future remains in demand
Glass packaging manufacturers remain determined to drive the decarbonisation of their industry in order to meet the growing demand for low-emission glass and reduce Glas as the sustainable packaging material of the future. Glass can be recycled an infinite number of times without any loss of quality as it is an inert, stable material. The collection rates in Europe are therefore impressively high: 80.2 per cent in 2022, meaning that most of the material is recycled in a closed loop. Glass is also an extremely safe packaging material that does not release any harmful chemicals into the packaged products, regardless of how often it is recycled.
With 162 glass production sites throughout Europe the container glass industry directly and indirectly secures 125,000 jobs. In addition, EU exports worth over 140 billion euros are packaged in glass. An estimated 45,000 manufacturing companies in the EU, 98 per cent of which are small and medium-sized enterprises, rely on glass packaging to sell their products. Glass plays a crucial role in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, perfumery and cosmetics industries and remains an indispensable packaging material.
Source: FEVE
