Resources

The extraction and manufacture of the raw materials in the upstream supply chain for glass production entail environmental impacts. Regulatory provisions such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), together with customers’ requirements and consumers’ environmental awareness, are making it increasingly urgent to use resources efficiently and offer a wide range of packaging suitable for the circular economy. Demand for customised packaging could decline in the future on account of the PPWR. On the other hand, we anticipate competitive advantages in the packaging industry because glass can be recycled an infinite number of times with no loss of quality, so it is inherently suited to the circular economy. Another opportunity in the packaging market arises for Vetropack thanks to our innovative lightweight reusable bottles made of thermally tempered glass.

Concepts, policies and measures

Raw materials for glass production

We use the following materials to manufacture glass packaging for the food and beverage industry: recycled glass, quartz sand (silicon dioxide), soda (sodium carbonate), lime, dolomite and colouring components. Alongside recycled glass, quartz sand is the main component of glass. Soda reduces the melting point of the quartz sand. Lime and dolomite give the glass stability, hardness and lustre. For colouring, we use metal oxides such as iron or copper oxides. To reduce the environmental impact of glass production, we aim to use the highest possible recycled content. By 2030, this share should reach an average of 70 percent.

As well as the composition of the raw materials, the packaging design has a significant influence on the environmental impact. In keeping with the rightweighting approach, we gauge the weight of our glass products so they meet our customers’ requirements for quality, design and functionality without the use of any additional material.

Diversified responsibilities

Given that Resources is a material topic with many diverse aspects, it also involves contributions from several different functions. The principal responsibility for sourcing recycled glass is assigned to the Supply Chain Management team. The Engineering and Production department calculates the optimum use of resources for new products. The Group Sustainability Manager measures goal attainment as part of his responsibility for the Clearly sustainable strategic pillar.

The Integrated Management Systems department is responsible for implementing legally compliant handling of waste. Furthermore, our Health, safety and environmental policy guarantees responsible waste management throughout the Group. The site managers are responsible for implementation.

Recycled glass as a starting material for new products

Vetropack is a member of the Close the Glass Loop initiative, which aims to attain a glass collection rate of 90 percent in Europe by 2030. Regional glass collection rates influence the amount of recycled glass that packaging manufacturers such as Vetropack can use to produce new glass containers. Glass collection rates differ widely across Europe. Among other reasons, this is related to the national glass collection infrastructure in each country. In our production countries of Ukraine, Slovakia and Croatia, for example, there are no glass containers that allow colour-separated collection. In the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, it is also exceptionally difficult to source cullet of adequately high quality.

The goal of the glass packaging industry is complete recycling of glass products at the end of their life cycle for the manufacture of new products. Our cullet sourcing strategy paves the way towards this objective, and modern cullet processing plants ensure that high-quality cullet is available for the production of new glass containers. We operate cullet processing plants in Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Ukraine. Further information on this topic is available in the Supply chain management section.

As described under Climate protection, the environmental impact of glass production is reduced if the highest possible share of used glass is utilised in production. This minimises the requirements for other raw materials such as sand, soda, feldspar and dolomite, and it also reduces the quantity of energy needed for the melting process. Studies by FEVE, the European Container Glass Federation (source: FEVE) state that a 10 percent increase in used glass results in energy savings of 2.5 percent and CO₂ savings of around 5 percent.

Active commitment to collecting glass packaging

As described above, the availability of cullet depends on many factors. Together with as the collection infrastructure and the transport systems, consumer behaviour plays a key part. As a member of FEVE, the industry association, we believe that we are responsible for actively drawing consumers’ attention to the relevance of collecting glass, and for raising their awareness in this regard. To achieve this, we launch awareness-raising initiatives and campaigns in Austria, Croatia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, and we also carry out online promotion. Friends of Glass is the name by which these activities are known. Moreover, they draw consumers’ attention to the health-related and ecological advantages of glass packaging.

Innovative lightweight glass

As described in the Innovation section, Vetropack is proud of our innovative lightweight glass product. It is about 30 percent lighter in weight than conventional reusable bottles, but it also offers the outstanding advantages of higher stability, less abrasion and therefore more reusability than traditional glass products. The bottles are thermally tempered; thanks to their reduced weight, they minimise logistics effort and outlay, and – an impressive benefit – their CO₂ emissions are significantly lower than those from conventional reusable bottles.

Responsible production processes and waste handling

In Vetropack’s view, the material topic of Resources means not only offering glass packaging in keeping with the circular economy, but also producing responsibly and conforming to the relevant environmental legislation. The central guideline in this context is our Group-wide Health, safety and environmental policy. This states that our approach to resources is based on awareness, and that we reduce environmental pollution. The Health, safety and environmental policy provides a guidance framework, requiring all employees to comply with the relevant statutory provisions and to behave responsibly in order to avoid and reduce waste. Vetropack also has a standardised waste management procedure which defines how the company manages waste, from generation through to reuse, recycling or disposal.

The majority of waste is generated during the processing of used glass. This consists of foreign substances that adhere to the glass or are wrongly thrown into the glass containers. They include food residues, ceramic, food packaging made of other materials, or glass that is not suitable for manufacturing new packaging for the food industry. Large quantities of refractory and metal waste are also generated when furnaces are refurbished or rebuilt. These materials are managed and recycled by external specialist companies.

Waste in the form of plastics or wood originates from the packaging of the raw materials. In this case, whenever possible, Vetropack opts for reusable solutions – for example, as part of our Holistic Pallet and Pad Management (HPPM) system.

Progress and events in the reporting year

Performance indicators

Material consumption: share of recycled content

Waste

In 2023, Vetropack achieved an average cullet share of 56 percent taken across all colours, while the figure in the reporting year was 57 percent. The highest cullet share was 74 percent for green glass, and the lowest share was 40 percent for white glass.

Production of white glass with a high percentage of recycled content is particularly challenging. On the one hand, this colour is very popular in the food industry. And on the other hand, flint glass does not tolerate any ‘impurities’ due to coloured cullet. Therefore, its availability is often limited. To add to the difficulties, the glass containers for colour-separated glass collection have been abolished in some countries. Our Slovakian plant in Nemšová has responded by operating a plant with a special sorting unit, which separates and cleans the flint glass so it can be used as a raw material for new products.