By Randy Burns Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative & Sustainability Officer, O-I Glass
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / January 23, 2025 / In 2024, O-I demonstrated more progress towards our commitment to decarbonize the glass-making industry. We're moving the needle by advancing emissions reduction through scalable glass furnace technology, investing in renewable energy, and increasing cullet - the industry term for recycled glass - in our plants. These results flow from a consistent execution of our strategy and the creativity and ingenuity of our teams across the globe executing it.
Every inch of mileage we gain in decarbonization is also a win for our customers. They're counting on us to innovate the glass-making process and help glass realize its full potential as the ideal packaging material to support the circular economy.
Achieving a 20% Reduction in GHG Emissions
One of our most notable achievements is reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 20% since our base year of 2017 and a further 2% decrease over the previous year. This milestone is a testament to our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint and consistent execution of our strategy.
Our investment in furnaces with gas-oxygen combustion and heat recovery (GOAT) in strategic plants across our footprint is an important lever in our strategy. Following the successful start-up of a GOAT furnace at our Vayres, France facility in 2023, we announced a new GOAT furnace at our plant in Gironcourt, France that will start production in early 2025 - a plant that produces 1.9 billion bottles a year, primarily for the beer market. Both the Vayres furnace and the Gironcourt furnace increase energy efficiency and lower emissions by utilizing waste heat to preheat incoming materials.
A major transformation including gas-oxy is underway at our plant in Alloa, UK. The transformation includes a rebuild of one existing furnace as well as the construction of an all-new furnace; both featuring state-of-the-art technology and improved sustainability.
Investing in Renewable Electricity and Process Electrification
The transformation in Alloa also includes using increased levels of electricity in the melting process, a key pillar of our sustainability strategy. This is another area where we're making consistent progress by increasing electrification in our glass-making processes.
O-I also continues to increase the amount of renewable electricity in our energy mix. Globally, 35% of our electricity usage is from renewable sources - against a 40% goal by 2030.
This shift not only reduces our reliance on fossil fuels but also supports the global transition to cleaner energy. Our investments in renewable energy projects and increased electrification, like the transformation at Alloa, are a crucial part of our sustainability strategy.
In 2024, we announced plans for the electrification and decarbonization of our plant in Veauche, France. One of the plant's two furnaces will be fully renovated and equipped with state-of-the-art hybrid-flex technology - the first in our footprint. This hybrid technology will allow the furnace to utilize up to 70% electricity in the melting process.
This hybrid flex technology represents another step forward in improving the sustainability profile of our plants. Not only is the glass we produce infinitely recyclable and healthy, our approach to producing it is holistic, as we continue to focus on cutting-edge technology and energy.
Increasing Cullet Use at Our Plants
We have a lot to celebrate in terms of cullet. The math here is simple: the more recycled content we use, the less energy our furnaces need, and the fewer emissions we create.
In 2024, we advanced the global average of cullet use to 40%. A mountain of effort goes into getting more cullet into our plants, particularly in places where glass recycling infrastructure is fractured or nearly non-existent, like in pockets of the Americas.
I harp on glass recycling systems because in regions where there's high availability of recycled glass due to strong recycling systems, our plants are running at 75% and higher.
Look no further than France as a proof point. France is a leader in glass recycling with a glass collection rate of more than 80%. It's no coincidence that our highest running cullet plants are in France. Our plant in Béziers, France, achieved 83% external cullet; in Labégude, we hit 79%, with the Wingles plant close behind at over 78% cullet.
In regions without strong recycling systems, we're building them. We begin by focusing on the communities near our plants. Take Colorado, for instance. The state has a 16% recycling rate. But with a plant in Windsor, we're very motivated to advance recycling in the region.
From late 2023 to late 2024, nine Colorado communities gained access to glass recycling through programs we spearheaded. We sought out partnerships and collaborations with customers, municipalities, and waste haulers to keep glass in the manufacturing stream and out of the landfill.
Meanwhile, our Glass4Good initiative - where we collaborate with local non-profits and municipalities to create social impact through recycling - collected 25% more glass than in 2023. The active programs are in:
Jefferson County, Pennsylvania: Brockway and Crenshaw plants
James City Country, Virginia: Toano plant
Greeley, Colorado: Windsor plant
Danville, Virginia: Danville plant
Bowling Green, Kentucky: Bowling Green plant
Sustainable Glass Making
O-I Glass's achievements in reducing GHG emissions, increasing renewable electricity usage, and maximizing cullet in our plants are significant milestones in our sustainability journey. Our investments in sustainable projects across our footprint demonstrate our commitment to innovation and supporting glass as the ideal circular material. As we continue to advance our sustainability efforts, we remain dedicated to creating a more sustainable future for our communities, our customers, and the planet.
