Page 41 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 5/2017

global blue chip and major com- cent and endlessly recyclable in Container Industry is a pioneer
panies working for the world’s a closed loop, it is inert and it of the circular economy, with
biggest consumer brands. preserves the nutritional qualities EUR 610 million invested per
and original taste of the products year in upgrading plants and
GLASS, A SUSTAINABLE it contains. Glass is the number improving innovation, energy
LIFESTYLE CHOICE – one packaging preferred by con- efficiency and decarbonisation.
FOR OUR FUTURE sumers.
Living sustainably is not just COLLECTION – GLASS
about saving the planet; it is also IS 100% RECYCLABLE
about looking after your health. In the last 15 years, bottle-
Choosing glass is one way to do to-bottle glass recycling has
both. Growing consumer prefer- Up to €610 increased by 139 per cent
ence for healthy living, combined million investment/year throughout Europe. The estab-
with concern for the environ- lishment of local recycling infra-
ment, is driving increased trust in structures for glass containers
glass as a packaging choice, with has contributed to local job crea-
85 per cent of Europeans willing tion and enabled the collection of
to recommend glass to friends 74 per cent of all postconsumer
and family. glass packaging in the EU. Glass
Glass packaging guaran- EUROPE – THE CRADLE containers can be reused many
tees long-time preservation of OF GLASS MANUFACTURING times.
taste and flavour, safe delivery In Europe, Venice is the cradle Glass recycling has increased
and attractive presentation of a of glass, with origins dating back by 139% in the last 15 years.
vast array of consumer prod- to the Roman Empire. Today, The first bottle banks were set
ucts, supplied to European and this heritage continues to cross up in Europe in the 1970s to col-
global markets. Whether used generations, with more than 160 lect and recycle glass, and today
for drinks, food, cosmetics, per- production sites across Europe. there are some 1.5 million bottle
fumes or pharmaceuticals, glass The industry continuously banks are available in Europe.
packaging plays a vital role in invests in innovation and high Today in Europe, 74 per cent of
supporting European trade and quality glass manufacturing. glass is collected to be recycled
commerce. Glass is 100 per Today, the European Glass into a bottle closed loop, result-
ing in a 40 per cent increase in
glass production across Europe.
The same European supply chain
also maintains 125,000 direct
and indirect jobs, also contribut-
ing up to EUR 9.5 billion to the
annual EU GDP.
The glass industry expands
production while keeping
environmental impact low,
with energy consumption
reduced by 80 per cent;
CO2 emissions reduced
by 70 per cent, and glass
bottles are 30 per cent
lighter, while maintain-
ing product preserva-
tion, recyclability and
innovative design.
This caring for the EU
economy means that almost
9 out of 10 Europeans choose
glass because they say it is the
best packaging to preserve their
food and beverages; 3 out of 4

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