‘Hot hold’ operations in the flat glass sector An exceptional yet essential option to cease production and preserve the industrial equipment This paper intends to inform policymakers on the rationale and implications when flat glass manufacturers decide to switch a flat glass melting plant into ‘hot-hold’. While having recourse to this industrial option is exceptional,
Read More...
Contribution to the revision of the ETS State aid guidelines On 14 January 2020, the European Commission released a public consultation on draft EU guidelines on certain State aid measures in the context of the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme, hereinafter the ‘draft ETS State aid guidelines’. The consultation suggests an approach for the
Read More...
Position paper on the proposed new Climate Law The first step towards carbon neutrality Glass for Europe, the trade association of Europe’s flat glass sector, welcomes the proposal from the European Commission to enshrine in law the objective for the EU to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050. The flat glass sector has embraced the climate neutrality
Read More...
Position paper on the European Green Deal: operationalising the decarbonisation agenda Europe’s flat glass industry welcomes the release of the European Green Deal and the Commission’s ambition to actively operationalize a decarbonisation agenda across all relevant policies. The European flat glass sector takes it as its role to produce at a competitive price the materials
Read More...
Glass for Europe statement on Nanomaterials and glass coatings The Commission adopted on 18 October 2011 a recommendation on the definition of Nanomaterial (2011/696/EU)[1] meant to be used as a reference for determining whether a material should be considered to be a ‘nanomaterial’ for legislative and policy purposes in the European Union. Since, the definition,
Read More...
A new measurement campaign confirms the insignificance of metals migration in European flat glass products For understandable public health concerns and environmental considerations, European authorities are keen to ensure that heavy metals are not released in food. Metals are not intentionally added in clear soda-lime silicate flat glass, except for aluminium[1], therefore their presence
Read More...
April 2019 Position paper on food contact materials The European Commission is currently reviewing the existing regulatory framework on food contact materials, in particular Directive 84/500/EEC[1] for ceramic articles. Among the discussed features of a possible legislative revision are: The potential extension of the Directive’s scope to glass materials and articles, A significant reduction
Read More...
Making Circular Economy a reality: Recognition of flat glass off-cuts as by-products Glass for Europe supports a full recognition of flat glass off-cuts as by-product as they fulfil the definition and the four criteria set in the Waste framework Directive: Directive 2018/851. This directive currently under implementation at Member States’ level, clarifies that objects
Read More...
Long term greenhouse gas emissions reduction To achieve its temperature objectives, the Paris Agreement also includes a long term ambition to achieve a balance between emissions and removals of greenhouse gases by human activities in the second half of this century. In your opinion, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges The EU needs to
Read More...
Economic study on recycling of building glass in Europe – Deloitte As European authorities look into ways to make the concept of a ‘Circular Economy’ real in the construction sector, a new study of Deloitte Sustainability analyses the present situation in the management and recycling of end-of-life building glass in the EU. This study, commissioned
Read More...
The status of Flat Soda Lime Silicate Glass and its raw materials under REACH This document aims to clarify the status of the Soda Lime Silicate (SLS) glass used for the manufacture of flat glass products1 and its raw materials in relation to the requirements of REACH2 and demonstrate that flat soda-lime-silicate (FSLS) glass meets the
Read More...
Glass for Europe statement on Recycled Content of flat glass for LEED Certification. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, which aims to promote sustainable buildings, by awarding credit points in different categories. It addresses, amongst others, reduction of energy use, improvement to the
Read More...
