Resources

Glass is one of the most sustainable of all packaging materials because it is 100 percent recyclable. Using a high percentage of cullet in the form of recycled glass helps us to reduce the impacts of our products on the environment. After the glass containers reach the end of their lifetimes, we aim to fully recycle the used raw materials in the form of cullet for the manufacture of new products – an approach that is in keeping with the principles of the circular economy. The higher the percentage of recycling glass, the lower the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions will be.

Effects of raw materials used in production

Besides a varying amount of recycling glass, the glass for our food packaging products consists of four main ingredients: quartz sand (silicon dioxide), soda (sodium carbonate), lime, and dolomite. Quartz sand is the main component of glass; the soda reduces the melting point of the quartz sand, and the lime makes the glass stable, hard and shiny. Metal oxides such as iron or copper oxides may be used as additional ingredients to colour the glass. Extraction and production of these raw materials cause environmental impacts. Going forward, we intend to implement appropriate strategies to reduce them. We are already using as few raw materials and as much recycling glass as possible. We also design the weight of our glass containers to be low enough to meet customers’ requirements and fulfil their purpose – but without the need for any additional material. We call this approach rightweighting. The Innovation section includes a presentation of our exceptionally lightweight Echovai product.

Utilising used glass to conserve resources, lower the energy demand and reduce CO₂ emissions

The glass industry aims to implement the principles of the circular economy; one key factor in achieving this goal is to use the highest possible share of recycled content to manufacture new products. The average share of recycled glass we used during the year under review was 56 percent. Green glass cullet accounted for the highest share, at 69 percent. We aim to increase the overall share of recycled content to 70 percent by 2030.

The higher the proportion of used glass, the lower the required quantity of raw materials will be. If cullet is used as the starting material for new glass containers, the energy required to manufacture new products can also be reduced: according to FEVE, a 10 percent share of recycled glass achieves energy savings of around 3 percent and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 5 to 7 percent.

Availability of high-quality recycling glass presents a challenge

We use as much recycled glass as is technically possible and accessible – but this does not always prove to be easy. In Slovakia, for example, the availability of cullet presents a challenge because the glass containers for sorting by colours have been abolished. Switzerland has the highest share of recycled glass. However, the share is less than 50 percent at some other sites (in the Republic of Moldova, for example). In locations such as these, the low collection rate makes it challenging to obtain sufficient quantities of high-quality glass for recycling. And the situation is particularly complex when it comes to white glass, a popular colour: on the one hand, demand for white glass is especially high – but on the other, white glass does not tolerate contamination with cullet of different colours. We have created new production capacities for white glass in our Italian plant.

The availability of recycled glass depends not only on public awareness and motivation to collect glass, but also on the local infrastructure. Vetropack is committed to increasing the collection rate as part of the ‘Close the Glass Loop’ initiative, and we maintain our own cullet treatment plants. By investing in our own cullet treatment plants, we increase the quality of the cullet, thus making it easier to use recycled glass as a starting material for new glass products.

Raising awareness about glass collection

FEVE (the European Container Glass Federation) is advocating an ambitious circular glass economy by setting a glass collection rate of 90 percent as the target by 2030. Vetropack intends to achieve a 70-percent share of recycled content in new glass container production by 2030. To reach this goal, we are dependent on two factors: the availability of high-quality cullet, and consumers’ behaviour. As part of our collaboration with FEVE, we undertake public relations work aimed at raising peoples’ awareness about the positive properties of glass as a safe, sustainable packaging material for food and beverages. We also aim to focus consumers’ attention on collecting glass, and to motivate them to do so. We deploy online advertising, posters and campaigns for these purposes.

Responsible production processes

We are careful to make responsible use of natural resources in glass production, and we minimise the environmental impacts in keeping with our Group-wide Health, Safety and Environmental Policy. Stricter regulatory requirements and growing customer expectations highlight the particular importance of sustainable production and our range of reusable glass containers – aspects that represent opportunities for us in an environment where packaging regulations are constantly on the increase.

Interdisciplinary responsibilities

Given that the topic of resources is a crucial issue with many diverse aspects, the responsibilities for it are also spread across multiple levels. Responsibility for cullet procurement is assigned to Supply Chain Management. Our Engineering and Production department undertakes the calculations to determine the optimal use of resources. The Supply Chain, Procurement and Supply Planning department is responsible for implementing the strategy to increase the share of recycling glass. Legally compliant waste disposal is handled by the Integrated Management Systems department. Policies, guidelines and minimum requirements are defined here; this department also ensures that line managers and site managers guarantee systematic implementation, while raising all employees’ awareness about legally compliant waste disposal.

A responsible approach to waste

A responsible approach to resources also includes reducing the amount of waste generated, and disposing of it correctly. Our Group-wide Health, Safety and Environmental Policy requires all our employees to comply with the relevant legal provisions regarding waste. The measures needed to reduce the negative effects caused by waste must be implemented in every process step.

At our sites, waste is mainly generated during the treatment of recycling glass. This waste includes foreign materials deposited in the collection containers on the one hand, and impurities in the glass cullet on the other. Waste occurs in the form of the following materials: ceramic, food residues, wood, various packaging materials, plastic, plastic bags, excess oil, and glass that is not suitable for the production of new food and beverage packaging.

Guidelines, policies, supervisory and control instruments

• We are part of ‘Close the Glass Loop’, an initiative that aims to achieve a glass collection rate of 90 percent in Europe
• Health, Safety and Environmental Policy
• Our own cullet treatment plants
• Awareness-raising campaigns to promote collection of glass

Progress and events in the reporting year

Contribution to achieving the SDGs

By using the highest possible share of recycled content, Vetropack encourages sustainable production patterns and conserves natural resources in keeping with SDG 12.

Performance indicators

Material consumption: Share of recycled content

Waste