US-based Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) has released a study providing, for the first time in the industry, a full cradle-to-cradle examination of the carbon footprint of glass in North America. Acco…
US-based Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) has released a study providing, for the first time in the industry, a full cradle-to-cradle examination of the carbon footprint of glass in North America. According to the GPI, the complete life cycle analysis (LCA) of the material represents a pioneering step forward for the packing sector. The research, conducted by independent consulting firm PE Americas, demonstrates that the increasing use of recycled glass (cullet) in the manufacturing process reduces the carbon footprint of the material. A cradle-to-cradle LCA includes the entire life cycle of a product while factoring in the recycling of the used product back to its original purpose. This method, claims GPI, provides the most accurate way of evaluating the carbon footprint of the material. The study was carried out using collected data from 105 furnaces, representing 75% of North American glass container output for 2007, and addressed all inputs and outputs for the production and end-of-life management for 1 kilo of glass. Extraction and processing of raw materials, transportation, the production and combustion of fuels and energy for the formation and melting of glass and impacts of post-consumer cullet treatment were also taken into account, along with different end life uses, such as recycling back into new packaging or non-packing applications, and landfill and incineration amounts. Two main areas for 1 kilo of glass; primary energy demand (PED) – the total fossil energy consumption – and global warming potential (GWP), which found that in North America the PED was 16.6 MJ/kg glass and the GWP was 1.25 kg CO2/kg glass. According to the GPI, the increasing use of cullet glass has resulted in a decrease of both PED and GWP. The LCA confirms the industry is on the right track with the goal to use 50% recycled glass in the manufacture of new glass bottles and jars by the end of 2013, said Joseph Cattaneo, GPI president. In creating more recycling awareness and working to improve recycled glass collection, the industry is helping boost the cullet content in manufacturing. The study shows increased cullet helps reducing energy emissions, conserve raw materials, extend the life of glass manufacturing furnaces, and save energy. The study also revealed that the transportation of glass has a relatively small impact of between 5 and 10% of the total energy used, since transport emissions are offset by the energy savings gained from using cullet in the manufacturing process. The GPI has also challenged other packaging sectors to produce similar studies in aim to advance the sustainability debate. It said the failure of other lifecycle assessments to follow a cradle to cradle approach meant a good deal of scepticism had been injected into the sustainability debate. We knew that for an LCA to be useful and to serve as an appropriate benchmark, it had to be cradle-to-cradle, said Cattaneo. For consumers and retailers to be able to compare the environmental impact of one packaging material to another, all industries should consider conducting complete life cycle analyses. Only then will we have clarity.