Glass for Europe at SUNRISE project workshop

Glass for Europe attended the first stakeholder workshop on the SUNRISE project. SUNRISE (multiSensor sorting tools in a circular economy approach for the efficient recycling of PVB interlayer material in high-quality prodUcts from laminated glass construction and demolition waStes) is a project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme.

It aims at increasing the collection and treatment of laminated glass, improving the separation of glass from the polymer interlayer, which is today most often considered a waste and ends in incineration or landfilling, and therefore optimising the recyclability of laminated glass.

The workshop aimed at the presentation of the state of play, 24 months after the launch of the project and halfway within its timeline. A prototype of a multisensory tool is currently being built, based on advanced characterisation of laminated glass wastes in terms of qualities and composition through a dedicated database. The aim is for the treatment to be performed through a mechano-chemical line. The project is also assessing the economic value of the obtained recycled resource and the existence of a secondary market.

The European flat glass industry is continuously working on the policy side and through concrete projects to increase the recyclability and effective recycling of flat glass. The sector is thus actively looking to reduce its environmental footprint while contributing to the EU policy objectives and bringing additional value to the EU economy.