A highlight of the recent glasspex and glasspro India 2023 shows in Mumbai was the parallel 14th International Conference of The All India Glass Manufacturers’ Federation (AIGMF) on 15 September.

Staged in partnership with Glass Worldwide, glasstec and Messe Düsseldorf India, the conference focused on ‘Decarbonisation for the Sustainable Glass Industry’ and presentations from leading international experts attracted a packed audience including senior representatives from prominent glassmakers including AGI Greenpac, Asahi India Glass, Borosil, Cello, Empire-Vitrum, Gopal Glass Works, Gujarat Guardian, Haldyn Glass, Kapoor Glass, La Opala, NIPRO, Neutral Glass (Gerresheimer), PGP, Schott and many more.

Şişecam has renovated the flat glass furnace at its production facility in Halol. Modernised with an investment of about US$56 million, the furnace will produce flat glass, mirror and frosted glass with a daily production capacity of 650 tons. Thanks to the electric boosting capability and the improved design of the renewed furnace, 15% energy saving is expected after the renovation.

The Glass Manufacturing Industry Council is launching the first of several new awards that celebrate both individual and organizational achievement in the glass industry. The 2023 Glass Manufacturing Excellence Award will recognize individuals who are making significant contributions on the shop floor within their company.

Nominees must be actively working at a GMIC member company and should meet one or more of the following criteria: demonstrated success in improving factory or operational performance; success in deploying new technology into operations; acts as a role model for others in a factory or operational environment; mentors and trains the next generation; shows tremendous potential for growth within the industry; or are passionate and dedicated to advancing glass.

Intel has announced one of the industry’s first glass substrates for next-generation advanced packaging, planned for the latter part of this decade. This breakthrough achievement will enable the continued scaling of transistors in a package and deliver data-centric applications.

“After a decade of research, Intel has achieved industry-leading glass substrates for advanced packaging. We look forward to delivering these cutting-edge technologies that will benefit our key players and foundry customers for decades to come,” said Babak Sabi, Intel senior vice president and general manager of Assembly and Test Development.

The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI), in partnership with Michigan State University (MSU) School of Packaging, announced the winners of the 2023 Glass Packaging Design Competition. The first-place team includes Lydia Cooper, Katie Dozek, Jacob Graybeal, Abby Ludtke and Fardowsa Omar. The team’s concept design of a whiskey bottle features the iconic Detroit Tigers logo embossed into all four sides of the glass container. 

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has approved Corning’s near-term science-based emissions reduction targets: reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% (absolute basis) by 2028 from a 2021 base year; and reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions, covering purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel- and energy-related activities, and upstream transportation and distribution by 17.5% by 2028 from a 2021 base year.

Corning has committed to a four-fold increase in renewable electricity use (2018 baseline) and is on a path to 100% renewables in the next few years in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Ardagh Group S.A., including Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (AMP) and Ardagh Glass Packaging (AGP), has been awarded its second consecutive platinum rating, the highest distinction from EcoVadis.

Both AMP and AGP have set ambitious emissions, ecology and social commitments, science-based targets as well as aligning with specific UN Sustainable Development Goals positioning for a more equitable, inclusive and environmentally responsible future.

O-I Glass has launched its “Cento per Cento Sicilia” bottles: an initiative that will lead a portion of the production of the glass bottles in the company’s Marsala facility to follow a low-waste circular economy path. The bottles are characterized by a customized bottom logo depicting the concept of circular economy. They are made of 90% recycled glass (at least) sourced uniquely from Sicily and weigh in at just 410g. More than 7,000 winemakers and 500 bottlers operate on the island within a supply chain that in 2022 produced more than 86.5 million bottles.

The UK Glass and Glazing Federation have successfully launched a number of recycling schemes for Members, across uPVC, aluminium, timber and glass. March 2023 saw the launch of a free pilot Glass Recycling Scheme in collaboration with CNC Recycling across certain areas of the UK, and following on from that success, the service will be expanding to other areas.

The pilot scheme was originally available to companies that install windows in Hull, York, Doncaster, Lincoln, Peterborough, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, Wakefield, Bradford, Leeds and Huddersfield. The expanded scheme will now cover Manchester, Liverpool, across to Halifax/Brighouse, down to Stoke and then over to North Wales, Cheshire and areas of Cumbria.