To further strengthen its international glass packaging brand, one of Europe’s leading glass container producers has decided to legally establish a coherent style of company names and turned Stölzle into Stoelzle. “Changing our company names was the next logical milestone on our way to be recognised as one strong global brand” Georg Feith, CEO explained. “All our sites and employees follow the same vision and dedicate their work to the same goal: To be your prestige glass partner.”

Sibelco has acquired two glass recycling businesses, Emiliana Rottami and Emill, through a bankruptcy auction in the Bologna region of Italy. Emiliana Rottami is an obsolete glass recycling plant with valid permits, while Emill is a glass fines recycling plant. Both were part of the same group that was declared bankrupt in 2019.

The Vitro Architectural Glass Fresno, California facility is the first float glass manufacturing plant in the USA to earn US Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy efficiency. It also received a 2019 Green Award from USGLASS in the glass manufacturing plant category.

Specialist French glassmaker for the beauty industry, Verescence has committed to set a science-based Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reductions target by joining the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company will submit its target by the end 2022, in line with the latest climate science.

Four years after the Paris Agreement, adopted following COP 21, 798 private sector companies have joined the Science Based Targets initiative. Verescence is the first glassmaker for luxury perfumery and cosmetics to commit.

O-I has signed a gas supply agreement with Cooper Energy in Australia for the supply of one PJ per annum for two years. The gas is to be supplied from Cooper Energy’s equity share of production from its offshore Casino Henry operations in southern Australia, the agreement including an option for an extension of a further three years.

Fabrizio Cattaneo (pictured) has been appointed Director of GIMAV, the association of Italian manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, plant and systems, accessories and special products for glass processing. He replaces Laura Biason, who left the association at the end of 2019. Mr Cattaneo will assist the Board and GIMAV President, Michele Gusti in guiding the association in facing some significant future challenges and events.

AGC Glass Europe is collaborating with Citrine Informatics is to use artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of next generation glass. Citrine Informatics is a technology platform that harnesses the power of AI to bring materials to market faster and capture materials-enabled product value.

There is currently high global demand for optimising optical and mechanical properties for strong scratch and abrasion-resistant glass in the automotive and communication industries.

According to recently released financial results from O-I Glass Inc, full year net sales of $6.7 billion were achieved in 2019, compared to $6.9 billion in 2018. “O-I’s 2019 earnings were in line with our most recent guidance and cash flows exceeded expectations” commented Andres Lopez, CEO. “We made significant progress during the second half of the year, ending on a positive note, despite a very challenging start to 2019.”