The glass industry has a brilliant, low-carbon future ahead – but only if the Government acts now to create a just transition, writes Paul Pearcy, the Federation Manager at British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation.
No one said it was going to be easy, but the road to net-zero can feel like one of those puzzles where you must move the pieces in exactly the right steps to solve the problem. In the world of UK glass manufacturing, this means creating the conditions today that will enable the industry to decarbonise whilst remaining competitive and viable in the future.
Just like a frustrating yet fascinating puzzle, I believe it’s a challenge worth sticking with. A decarbonised and healthy glass sector not only means a huge opportunity in terms of significant CO2 savings, it also means securing the manufacturing capability of one of Britain’s vital foundation industries.
The UK glass sector contributes over £2.5bn to the UK economy each year and provides more than 120,000 jobs across the supply chain. Its significance is only set to increase, as it will play a vital role in the government’s ‘Plan for Change’ agenda, which promises 150 major economic infrastructure projects and the biggest housebuilding commitment for 50 years.
Houses need glass for windows and insulation, renewable infrastructure such as wind turbines needs glass fibre, and, of course, all solar solutions need glass. Much of 21st-century life depends on products that use glass—from energy-efficient glazing to optical technologies that enable everything from barcode scanning to internet communications.
Then there’s the intrinsic ‘closed loop’ nature of glass. It’s one of the few truly circular materials, with most glass products using very high levels of post-consumer recycled glass content. Long before “sustainability” became today’s buzzword, glass has been quietly getting on with the job of enabling reuse and recycling.
