The HRIO (Croatian Sustainability Index) awards are presented to Croatian companies that have successfully integrated sustainability into their business and stood out for the results achieved during 2020.

Vetropack Straža are proud to have received the award in an area that is a key pillar of business strategy – environmental impact management.

During 2020, a new, energy-efficient glass furnace was built in Vetropack Straža, which significantly reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

An energy metering system has been implemented that enables accurate determination and evaluation of consumption for individual parts of production, as well as for the entire factory, and the adoption of solutions to improve energy efficiency.

Ardagh Glass Packaging – Europe has worked closely with Absolut and design agency Brand Union to create the latest limited-edition bottle: ‘Absolut Voices’, which celebrates the wavemakers and trailblazers of the world and is reflected in the bottle’s ‘sound waves’ design.

The sapphire blue-coloured bottle contains 80% recycled glass, the highest percentage yet for Absolut, which is largely thanks to the high recycling rate in Sweden.

Mr Neil Syder has been appointed Managing Director of Pilkington UK, he will lead the glass manufacturer as it adapts to an age of decarbonisation and targets new opportunities.

Mr Syder brings over 30 years’ experience within the company to the post, most recently as head of operations, bringing new standards of efficiency and customer focus to the St Helens manufacturing operations.

He began working at the company in R&D in the 1980s, building extensive experience over four decades in specialist glass coatings, running production lines and operational planning.

Current Managing Director Matt Buckley who takes retirement after serving in this position for more than a decade and having spent 30 years with the business.

The Ardagh Group 2021 Sustainability Report has announced the launch of ambitious new long-term targets for Ardagh Metal Packaging and Ardagh Glass Packaging.

These new targets include zero waste to landfill by 2025, a 10% VOC emission intensity reduction, a 20% water use intensity reduction and are aligned with the Science Based Targets Initiative for Greenhouse Gas emissions.

SCHOTT is making further investment in its new pharma glass tubing factory in Jinyun, China, consolidating its role as a reliable partner for the Chinese pharma industry.

The new tubing plant was inaugurated a year ago. Shortly after, its capacity was increased by 100%. Capacity is to be increased further. "With a new investment of 70 million Euros, we are extending our supply hub for the Chinese market," announced Dr. Patrick Markschläger, Executive Vice President of SCHOTT Business Unit Tubing.

The factory processes a reliable supply of specialty glass tubing, which is urgently required because of the steadily increasing demand for pharma packaging.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2022 International Year of Glass will be in the Palace of Nations, Geneva from 9 to 11 February

An array of internationally recognised speakers are primed to place glass at the heart of the United Nations 2030 Humanitarian Goals.

The organising committee of IYoG2022 are committed to totally financing attendance of this Ceremony without recourse to fees.

So, the support of endorsers: institutions, companies, artists and educators is vital.

A fundraising campaign has been launched through the International Year of Glass website (https://donate.iyog2022.org/), individual donors can participate using PayPal or Stripe (credit or debit card).

Dassault Systèmes, Ardagh Group and EXXERGY will begin ‘virtual twin’ trials on Diageo’s iconic Johnnie Walker bottle in January 2022 to research and develop a coating that will enable the glass bottle to be lightweighted without compromising its strength and shape.

A virtual twin is a real-time digital representation of a product or process that is used to model, visualise and predict new innovations before any physical trials take place.

The trial will research and develop a new external coating for the glass bottle to reduce the micro-cracks in the glass surface, which will allow the glass to be much lighter while maintaining its strength.

Following the first joint meeting of German and British Societies of Glass Technology (DGG and SGT) in Aachen, Germany (1928), the International Commission on Glass (ICG) took place in Venice in 1933, to celebrate the cosmopolitan spirit that has always been at the heart of all glass scientists, glass technologists, glass engineers and glass artists.

2022 will mark the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the DGG, an excellent occasion and a high motivation to organise and host the 26th International Congress on Glass (ICG2022) in Berlin on 3-8 July 2022.

The board of directors of La Opala, a specialist producer of opal and lead crystalware, has approved establishment of a new borosilicate glass plant at Sitarganj, Uttarakhand in India.

The proposed new plant will not only help meet the increased demand of borosilicate glass products throughout domestic and international markets but the low cost of production shall also provide a competitive benefit to the company.