Glass Fibre Europe has commissioned PwC – Sustainable Performance and Strategy to prepare a report on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of continuous filament glass fibre (CFGF) products. The updated report is based on 2021 manufacturing data collected by PwC from 11 plants based in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Norway. It covers Glass Fibre Europe members’ production of chopped strands, direct rovings, assembled rovings and mats. These products represent the majority of the reinforcement used in thermosetting and thermoplastic composites applications. The analysis is a cradle-to-gate approach: it is an assessment of the product life cycle impacts from the raw material extraction and manufacture (‘cradle’) to the factory exit gate (i.e.

Guardian Glass has attained Bronze level Cradle to Cradle (C2C) re-certification for the float, coated and laminated glass product ranges manufactured at its European plants. Not only are these products now re-certified overall to C2C Bronze level version 3.1, but Guardian is also one of the first float glass companies to partially meet the more stringent requirements of C2C Bronze level version 4.0. The three product ranges achieved at least a C2C Bronze level version 4.0 in three out of five performance categories. For Guardian float glass manufactured in Europe, C2C Gold level version 4.0 was achieved in the Material Health category.

Verescence has unveiled its latest creations at PCD Paris 2023 - the MOON and GEM bottles, two lightweight glass containers with complex shapes. Developed in collaboration with renowned designer De Baschmakoff, MOON and GEM showcase Verescence's technical expertise in creating lightweight glass bottles with complex shapes, both perfect combination of luxury and sustainability.

The MOON bottle weighs 106g for 100ml. This one-of-a-kind organic shape features an off-centre neck while preserving perfect symmetry of the bottle's faces, offering a comfortable grip at the same time.

The GEM bottle weighs 97g for 100ml. It has a striking, geometrical design with sharp angles and a broad octagonal facing, making it look like a precious gem.

Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC) has successfully conducted a demonstration test with 100% hydrogen combustion to melt glass using a hydrogen–oxygen burner jointly developed with Nippon Electric Glass.

As part of its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility, URSA has been improving the manufacturing processes of its materials and continuously reducing energy consumption at its two plants in Pla de Santa Maria (Tarragona). This work has now culminated in the implementation an Energy Management System following the international standard ISO 50001:2018. New energy efficiency criteria have been defined and implemented in the production activities carried out in the glass mineral wool and extruded polystyrene factories.

The sixth NSG Group Environmental Project Award has been awarded to the San Salvo site in Italy for their water consumption reduction project. This project significantly reduces the amount of water taken from a local river used for several applications at the site. The efficiency of water usage has been improved in the production processes such as automated valves, increased water recycling and the use of rainwater. In the past two years the site has saved over 1,980,000m3 of water.

The judging panel made four additional Commendations:

Advanced high-tech glass development and manufacturing business Mo-Sci has acquired the assets of 3M’s Advanced Materials business (previously 3M Ceradyne), which was based in Seattle, Washington. The acquisition included over 350 pieces of specialized equipment and all related intellectual property significantly expanding the Heraeus subsidiary’s capabilities and manufacturing capacity.

Gerresheimer has established a joint venture with Corning to increase global access to the Velocity Vial technology platform, addressing the need for a high-quality and cost-effective injectable drug filling process.

The partnership will combine Gerresheimer’s extensive glass converting expertise with Corning’s innovative Velocity Vial technology. Velocity Vials will be produced by the joint venture in existing Gerresheimer facilities for the international market, making the vials immediately available in North America, Europe, and Asia.

The latest limited edition Absolut vodka bottle celebrates the Spirit of Togetherness. It was designed by Absolut’s in-house studio, The Mix Stockholm, working in collaboration with design agency Brand Union Stockholm and Ardagh Glass Packaging (AGP) - Europe.

Elin Furelid, Global Director Portfolio & Innovation at The Absolut Company, explains the meaning behind the design: “The bottle’s woven pattern on the glass surface reflects the notion that several intertwined threads are stronger than one individual string and shows that we form a stronger bond when we create things together."