This  aspirational mission to create the world’s most sustainable glass bottle has been lauded an incredible success by the industry. The project is undertaken by Encirc and industry research and technology organisation, Glass Futures. 

It has proven that new bottles are able to be made from 100% recycled glass, using only the energy from burning ultra-low-carbon biofuels.

It is thought that the world-first initiative will pave the way for an industry-wide reduction in carbon emissions, as the glass sector moves away from fossil fuels, and towards low-carbon alternatives.

More in-depth results from the trial, taking place at one of Encirc’s plants in Derrylin, are expected to come in over the next few weeks and will feed into UK Government policy around decarbonisation.

Fiacre O’Donnell, director of sustainability, Vidrala (Encirc’s parent company) said, “The results we’re seeing from this biofuel trial are truly remarkable, and paint a very bright and sustainable future for our industry. We’re also looking into the development of hydrogen, and advancements in electric melting to truly discover the future of glass production. These ultra-low-CO2 containers we’re making are being produced for some of the biggest names in the drinks industry, showing how united we all are in our quest for total sustainability.

“By working with Glass Futures, we have helped pioneer the development of a glass bottle which is net-zero-ready, meaning it will truly have no negative impact on the environment throughout its entire lifecycle.”

Adrian Curry, managing director at Encirc added, “This is a truly momentous occasion for glass. We have set the standard globally with this trial and now the glass industry needs to work towards realising what we’ve proved is possible. We now know that glass can be the most sustainable of all packaging types and must all work together to ensure that happens.”

Aston Fuller, general manager of Glass Futures said, “The trial is delivering fantastic results for the manufacturer, end user and consumer. Glass is a fully recyclable and highly sustainable product, but through this trial we are beginning to see the dawn of Net-Zero technologies with Encirc with a full-scale trial of a new alternative low-carbon fuel.”