When it comes to end-of-life flat glass management, several options can be envisioned to process used glass most sustainably. Glass for Europe has produced a paper on the possibilities and constraints related to the practices of reuse and re-manufacturing of flat glass. The paper also highlights the potential of flat glass recycling as a sustainable end-of-life management option.
The paper addresses how “reuse” and “re-manufacturing” can be defined when discussing flat glass products and explains the technical feasibility and the challenges of these processes for glass in buildings. A detailed analysis of end-of-life options for a large panel of float glass types is provided and the main criteria to evaluate feasibility for reuse/re-manufacturing are outlined.
As of today, certain limitations and shortcomings linked to technical, industrial and legal requirements lead Glass for Europe to conclude that “reuse and re-manufacturing, although potentially highly sustainable end-of-life treatments are likely to remain niche practices, adapted for very specific end-of-life flat glass products to be used in bespoke applications.”
In this context, the crucial role of closed-loop recycling of flat glass is explained and considered as the most feasible sustainable option for the mass treatment of used glass. Glass for Europe thus reiterates its call to EU authorities to work with the industry to establish adequate closed-loop recycling infrastructures.