Saint-Gobain has become the first player in the world to achieve zero carbon production of flat glass.

This feat was achieved last week by using 100% recycled glass (cullet) and 100% green energy, produced from biogas and decarbonized electricity.

It was implemented for one week in Saint-Gobain's flat glass manufacturing plant in Aniche, northern France.

By mobilizing the network of partners developed by Saint-Gobain, the focus was placed on circularity, with the use of 100% cullet from end-of-life glass from renovation or demolition sites and from production offcuts.

NSG Group have announced an increased target of carbon emission reduction by 2030 as part of the company’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

In October 2019, the Group had set a target of reducing GHG emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2) by 21% compared to its 2018 levels by 2030 as certified by the Science Based Targets Initiative and work has been taking place in line with the targets.

At the same time, the Group has been working to achieve a 2% annual reduction in carbon emissions (Scope 1 and 2) during the three-year period of the Company’s Revival Plan 24 to 2024.

North America's largest glass recycler, Strategic Materials, Inc. (SMI), has appointed Laura Hennemann as Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, the first position of its kind for the company.

In this role she will lead the company's sustainability, supply, communications and government affairs departments, and will report to President and CEO Chris Dods.

Ms Hennemann has been with the company for six years, most recently as the VP of marketing and communications. She also sits as an executive board member of the Glass Recycling Foundation.

After the conclusion of the Annual Meeting of Share Owners, O-I Glass announced that Anastasia D. Kelly and Peter S. Hellman, are retiring from the Board of Directors after many years of service.

Additionally, 11 director nominees were elected for one-year terms, including David V. Clark, II, who is a new member of the Board.

The other director nominees elected at the Annual Meeting are Samuel R. Chapin, Gordon J. Hardie, John Humphrey, Andres A. Lopez, Alan J. Murray, Hari N. Nair, Joseph D. Rupp, Catherine I. Slater, John H. Walker and Carol A. Williams.

Ms Kelly has served as a director since 2002 and Mr Hellman has served as a director since.

Orora has announced the successful grant application to support the planned construction of an oxygen fuelled furnace at the glass manufacturing plant in Gawler, South Australia.

The Aus$12.5 million grant was awarded from the Federal government under the under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative – Manufacturing Translation Stream, Recycling and Clean Energy programme, to accelerate development and commercialisation of low emissions technologies.

Orora Beverage Group General Manager, Simon Bromell, said: "Orora is very appreciative of the government’s support for this significant project.

Ardagh Glass Packaging - Africa (formerly Consol Glass) donated 10,000 Consol Solar Jars to learners in Thembisa on 5 May.

The donation is a continuation of Project Khanya, a CSI project launched by Consol in 2015 to bring free, rechargeable light to children who are battling with resources to do their homework at night.

“The company recognises the challenges that our young people face but learning should not be one of them,” says Thami Mkhuzangwe, Senior Executive: Human Resources and Corporate Affairs, Ardagh Glass Packaging - Africa. “We are proud to play a role in assisting eager young minds to grow and develop.”

The versatile Consol Solar Jars are an eco-friendly lighting solution, handmade in South Africa.

The Federal Association of the German Glass Industry (BV Glas) and the GWI research institute in Essen have successfully completed their collaborative HyGlass project.

The objective was to investigate the possibility of using hydrogen in regenerative glass furnaces as a long-term replacement for natural gas.

Both hydrogen­–gas mixtures and pure hydrogen were examined.

The HyGlass project was funded by the North Rhine-Westphalian federal government Innovation subsidy programme and NRW.Energy4Climate.

Encirc has extended its beverages partnership with the UK’s largest soft drinks company, Britvic.

The move to both manufacture and fill Britvic’s cordial bottles at the Elton, Cheshire site will prevent around a thousand lorry journeys from Great Britain to Northern Ireland across three years, resulting in significant carbon savings of up to 22,000 tonnes.

This will support Britvic’s aim to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by 2025, aligning closely with Encirc’s own Science Based Targets and its plans to create a future fit for people, and the planet.

SCHOTT’s aim to become climate neutral by 2030 sees the company launch a pilot project at its headquarters in Mainz to test large-scale use of hydrogen in glass production.

The company and its project partners are investing more than €714,000, including an award of around €338,000 from the European Regional Development Fund to develop a climate friendly glass melting process.

In this trial, the R&D experts at SCHOTT will gradually replace natural gas with hydrogen.

Over the course of a month, the ratio of hydrogen in the natural gas/hydrogen mixture will be gradually increased to up to 35% by volume in three test phases lasting around 10 days each.

This large-scale test is breaking new ground for the specialty glass industry.