Glass is a solid-like, transparent material that is made from natural and abundant raw materials such as sand, soda ash and limestone, by a melting process at very high temperatures.
At high temperature glass has structural properties that are similar to those of liquids, whereas at ambient temperature it is similar to solids. As a result, glass can be poured, blown, press and molded into a variety of shapes. (Source: glassallianceuerope.eu)
The glass industry produces various glass types that are necessary in daily life and industrial use. Glass can for instance be used for housing and buildings, appliances and electronics, tableware, interior design, medical technology, automotive and transport and many other fields. (Source: glassallianceuerope.eu)
The glass industry comprises five main sectors covering different glass products, these are:
- Flat glass:
This type of glass is used for several applications such as buildings (windows and facades), automotive industries (windscreens, side and rear-side glazing, backlights and sunroofs), solar-energy (photovoltaic and solar thermal panels), domestic furniture, appliances, mirrors and greenhouses.
- Container glass:
Container glass provides a large range of glass packaging products for food, beverages, flacons for perfumery, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.
- Continuous filament: (fiber glass)
Fiber glass is primarily used for the production of composite materials as weight-lightening reinforcement components, such as fiber-reinforced polymers or glass-reinforced plastics. It is used in automotive and transportation sectors (such as airplanes) and in many other sectors including wind energy, agriculture, construction, communication, and electrical and electronic goods.
- Special glass:
This type of glass has a high added value due to its intense technological content. A variety of products are made from this glass such as lighting glass, glass tubes, laboratory glassware, glass ceramics, heat-resistant glass, optical and ophthalmic glass, extra thin glass for the electronics industry such as liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, photovoltaic and radiation protection glasses.
- Domestic glass:
Domestic glass comprises the manufacturing of glass tableware, cookware and decorative items such as drinking glasses, bowls, plates, vases and ornaments.
(Source: Glass Alliance Europe)
Glass types
Several types of glass are manufactured by the glass industry, some of these types are given in the table below. (Source: trueblueglass.com.au)
Glass type | Description |
Annealed glass | Basic clear or colored glass, often used for windows and doors and commonly employed as a base glass to make more technical glass varieties. It is resistant to wind and heat fluctuations, affordable and enables clear visibility but can only be used for limited sizes due to its strength. |
Toughened glass | Also called safety glass, it is made from annealed glass that is heated and cooled rapidly, which makes it about 5 times stronger. It is used to replace annealed glass in areas that require structural strength such as large panels of glass, in bathrooms and elevation windows. |
Laminated glass | Classed as a safety glass, it is made up of two or more sheets of glass that are adhered together permanently. It is highly resistant to impact; it is a budget friendly alternative to toughened glass and can be used for much of the same purposes. |
Tinted glass | Colored glass that reduces the severity of glare and heat from the sun and is an ideal glass solution for bright outdoor areas. |
Frosted glass | Used in both domestic and commercial environments, commonly to enhance bathroom areas. It comes in a variety of patterns and can be used to improve natural light in the room. |
Mirrored glass | Also called reflective glass, it can be used as a mirror or for furniture and tabletops. |
Low E glass | Low Emissivity Glass has a microscopic and transparent metallic coating that reduces movement of heat or cold through the glass, making the area more energy efficient. |
Wired glass | It has wire mesh reinforcing the glass, it is commonly used in government buildings such as schools, institutions and offices and is normally installed in fire escape routes, fire resistant doors, and skylights. |
Double glazing | It is made of two layers of glass that are separated by a gap that is filled with air or argon gas and then sealed closed. The gap between the two glass panels drastically reduces the rate of heat through the glass and thermal conductivity. Used in areas where control over the amount of heat going in and out through the glass is needed. |
Glass production
According to Glass Alliance Europe, global glass production reached a volume of 35.85 million tonnes in 2020, a decrease of 2.6% compared with 2019. This indicates that the market suffered from the pandemic, at different levels according to each glass subsector. (Source: glassallianceeurope.eu)
The following figure gives the evolution of global glass production in EU-27 +UK from 2008 to 2020.
According to Statista, the European Union produced about 10.7 million metric tons of flat glass in 2020, Germany accounted for almost a quarter of all this production with 24% of production. Poland was next, accounting for 14%. (Source: statista.com)
The following figure gives Glass Alliance Europe members, glass production by sector in 2020.
The following figure gives worldwide production share of each glass sector in 2018.
From both figures, it shows that the most produced type of glass both worldwide and in the European Union is container glass.
Glass industry data
According to Statista, global market value of glass bottles and containers is expected to grow to 78.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2026, while the market volume is forecast to grow to over 920 billion units by the same year. Being an infinitely recyclable, reusable, and more sustainable alternative to plastic packaging, glass packaging use is growing and the market value of the glass packaging industry worldwide is expected to grow from 51.23 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 to 69.25 billion U.S. dollars by 2027. (Soruce: statista.com)
According to Global Market Insights, glass manufacturing market size was USD 228.7 billion in 2020 and will showcase a growth rate of around 4.1% CAGR from 2021 to 2027, as shown in the following figure. (Source: gminsights.com)
According to Statista, container glass was the most imported and most consumed type of glass in EU In 2020, with a 1.33 million metric tons imported and 22.48 million metric tons consumption. (Source: statista.com)
The following figure gives EU glass imports by glass sector in 2020.
Glass industry emissions
- Combustion related emissions
Pollutants released during the manufacture of glass are sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), in very rare cases carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) or nitrous oxide (N2O). Emissions of heavy metals are also produced by the melting process, as well as emissions of particulate matter that can result from handling raw materials.
The main relevant pollutants are SO2, NOx, and CO2. (Source: eea.europa.eu)
- Process related emissions
The most important source of atmospheric emissions is the hot furnace, due to the partial vaporization of heavy metals from the raw materials or the fuel. The heavy metals, depending on the type of glass and raw materials, which are emitted to air, may be arsenic (in very few cases), lead and selenium. (Source: eea.europa.eu)
According to Global Efficiency Intelligence, the container and flat glass industries (which combined account for 80% of glass production) emit over 60 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. (Source: globalefficiencyintel.com)
A carbon footprint study done AGC glass manufacturing European group, estimated AGC direct and indirect emissions at about 39Mt of CO2 equivalent per year (Reference year: 2019). (Source: agc-glass.eu)
Solutions for decarbonizing the glass industry
The following table gives some technologies that could be applied to reduce glass industry GHG emissions.
