Glass packaging’s environmental impact massive despite high recycling, warns Zero Waste Europe

01 Sep 2022 --- Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) has released a report on how the packaging industry can improve circularity for single-use glass. Despite being infinitely recyclable, glass’ heavy environmental footprint is rarely offset by effective national infrastructure. To identify shortcomings and solutions, ZWE studied glass packaging in France, the UK, US and Germany.

Key limitations to circularity were identified in each country, and options for improving glass circularity were explored. The study also reviews other limitations and opportunities the single-use container glass industry is facing and future developments being considered to overcome these challenges. 

Four key areas were considered in estimating each country’s circularity: collection rates, overall recycling rates, closed-loop recycling rates, and recycled content rates. The results show that despite relatively high levels of recycling (79% in Germany and 71% in the UK), the wider environmental impact is still massive. 

Joan Marc Simon, ZWE’s executive director, tells PackagingInsights he is unsurprised by the findings. 

“When it comes to packaging, EU policy focuses on collection and recycling and not on the overall environmental impact. In terms of emissions, single-use glass is the most carbon-intensive type of material per unit of product, and since the use of single-use glass is growing, so is the impact. The legislation basically says that it’s ok to increase emissions, as long as you recycle.” 

Glass remains the most energy intensive material in the packaging industry.“Yes, recycling has gone up, but so has the environmental impact.” 

Is plastic better than glass? 
Marc Simon emphasizes that despite the supposed threat plastics can pose to the environment when dumped, glass still produces more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by far. 

“It’s true that single-use glass does not leach chemicals, it has comparatively good collection and recycling rates, and when dumped in the environment, it’s not such a hazardous material. Hence, when looking at compliance with the targets stipulated in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), glass is a relatively well-performing material in comparison to plastic,” he says.  

“What the legislation pays less attention to is the carbon intensity of using single-use glass vis-à-vis other materials. The European glass industry is producing 23 million tons of bottles and jars per year. Considering a typical furnace consumes between 4 and 17 GJ/t, we are talking about using up to 360 PetaJoules of energy with all its associated emissions.” 

“Given the high carbon emissions associated with the production of single-use glass, especially in times of high energy prices, it is important to reduce by increasing closed-loop recycling – which can save 35% of the energy – or even better, by increasing the use of refillable glass packaging which preserves most of the embedded energy.” 

The cost of inaction and the way forward 
Improved DRS could help reduce the environmental footprint of glass, finds the report.The report finds that to further improve circularity and reduce associated GHG emissions, each country analyzed must boost its collection rates through deposit return schemes (DRS) and refill models wherever possible. While the UK is preparing to update and implement DRS for plastic, Marc Simon says there are almost no plans for improved glass recycling and “even less for a refill.” 

If something is not done, “it will mean a lost opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and dependency on foreign gas and advance the circular economy,” he says. “For the glass industry, it could mean a lost opportunity to prepare the sector for a new context dominated by high energy prices and resource scarcity.” 

“Introducing DRS in underperforming countries such as the US or the UK does require investment in infrastructure, but this is an investment that will pay off in economic and environmental terms. In the long term, the cost of maintaining the current system outweighs the initial investment.”

Rethinking glass 
Marc Simon concludes an urgent rethink and policy shift is needed for glass packaging in Europe. 

“At ZWE, we believe that glass is a crucial material for a circular economy; it is extremely safe from a toxicity perspective, it is highly recyclable, and it can withstand multiple use cycles,” he says.  

“However, we need to rethink the way that we are using this material. In times of scarcity, high energy prices and climate change, we cannot afford to continue using glass as disposable material.” 

“The PPWD revision is a unique chance to tackle the current environmental and energy challenges of glass packaging production and disposal by implementing effectively closed loop recycling for single-use glass and increasing the uptake of refillable glass containers via reuse targets.” 

By Louis Gore-Langton