Reducing waste and pollution
Glass manufacturing is an energy intensive process but there are opportunities to reduce the energy consumed.
To achieve both cost and energy savings, glass manufacturers should be aware of the energy they are consuming so that measured improvements can be made.
The majority of GGF Members are not manufacturers but the concept of energy saving and waste minimisation is important to achieve environmental goals.
The British Plastics Federation is lobbying Government to increase the Energy from Waste capacity and it welcomes the target of EFW to account from 25% of municipal waste by 2020 as this will significantly reduce landfill.
The Market Transformation Programme which supports the UK Government policy on sustainable products, is also working on window waste.
It cites three main areas for future progress: policies and practices to reduce resource use and improve window waste recovery, assessing the effect of the Hazardous Waste Directive on the recycling of timber windows and considering the feasibility of setting up a recycling scheme for timber windows.
Recycling, Pollution and Waste - What is Happening?
Energy efficiency is only part of the environmental story and the GGF has already conducted research on recycling, pollution and waste to inform its position and to plan how it can improve the industry’s performance in these areas.
Recycling
About 6.8 million windows worth more than £1.8 billion are replaced each year in the UK.
More than 190,000 tonnes of waste material are produced from windows that are removed, including 90,000 tonnes of glass. Glass can be recycled infinitely and requires less heat to melt it down in comparison to other recyclable materials.
As landfill taxes increase from £21 to £35 per tonne in the future, this fact along with its recycling potential means that there is no excuse not to recycle glass.
Embarrassingly, the UK glass industry’s record at recycling glass stands at around 30% whereas our European colleagues achieve rates of between 60% and 80%. The European Commission is understood to be considering proposals for a 75% target for all Member states.
To find out more on how the glass and glazing are committed to reducing waste visit the Glass and Glazing Federation website.
Paramount launches its Green View Initiative - Get up to £1500 for your old windows
Paramount, The Home Improvement Company, one of the North East's leading suppliers in stunning conservatories, orangeries and replacement upvc windows and doors, is setting the standard to become the North East’s market leader in providing the ‘greenest’ products and services by launching their latest initiative this week. Read more about Paramounts' Green View Initiative.