Glass Express Midlands has been certified as a leading player in the circular economy of glass, with 203 tonnes of cullet returned to Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland’s Glass Forever scheme in just one year.
The equivalent weight of 16 London double-decker buses, the cullet has been returned to Saint-Gobain Glass’ manufacturing plant in Eggborough, to be recycled into new product. This has prevented 243 tonnes of virgin raw material from being used, in place of recycled glass.
“We’re fortunate to work with a material that is endlessly recyclable, and we are a business that actively places our environmental commitments at the forefront of our operations,” Glass Express Midlands’ Sales Director Fraser Caithness said. “So, when we heard about the Glass Forever scheme, we grasped the opportunity to take part with both hands.”
In order to return only clean cullet, Glass Express Midlands’ operators isolate all of their glass offcuts into specially designed, cut-proof cullet bags, provided by Saint-Gobain Glass. Once filled, they are then returned on the same Saint-Gobain Glass vehicles that deliver their glass, maximising resource and fuel.
Since 2021, Saint-Gobain Glass has remanufactured 860 kt of cullet and prevented the use of 1 million kt of raw materials from being used in their production process.
“Through the use of the clean glass cullet that we, and other processors, have supplied, Saint-Gobain can considerably reduce the amount of energy used in the production of float glass, resulting in a product with a lower carbon footprint”, Fraser explained.
“This creates a circular manufacturing economy and means that we can manufacture sealed units with a much lower carbon footprint – a sustainability credential that also benefits our customers.”
As well as its commitment to the Glass Forever scheme, Glass Express Midlands also reduces waste, energy use, and optimises systems throughout its manufacturing process, to create a highly sustainable operation. The latest optimisation software is employed to reduce the amount of wastage, and an ongoing programme of machine maintenance ensures that the factory runs optimally as well as resulting in extremely low rejection rates.
“All of our sustainability measures culminate to save our customers time, resources and money – making them more profitable in the process,” Fraser said. “It also puts us front and centre when bidding for high-profile contracts because we can prove that we are a sustainable manufacturer.”
For more information, please visit glassexpressmidlands.co.uk, or call 0121 552 7616.
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