Glass is a packaging material that can be recycled endlessly without losing its properties, and these same attributes help glass packaging contribute directly to three of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, glass packaging manufacturer Consol Glass says.
The company adds that 2022 has been declared the International Year of Glass (IYOG) by the UN.
“The IYOG will be marked by collaborations among glass industry players and associations across the globe and will include fairs and exhibitions, seminars and social media campaigns.
"The glass industry, which is a long-time leader in circularity, will convene stakeholders across the entire glass value chain to promote glass in driving the world’s sustainable development aspirations.”
Consol is a partner of Friends of Glass, which is an international community that supports everything about glass packaging. Friends of Glass was created in 2008 by European Container Glass Federation FEVE, which is an international not-for-profit association representing glass packaging.
“Glass is one of the world’s most transformative materials. The uses of glass are evolving at an accelerated pace thanks to a deeper scientific understanding of glass physics and chemistry, combined with modern analytic and control technologies and a changing world.
“It has long played a vital role in science, art, industry and culture. Today, glass is the main conduit for information in our data-driven society. Optical glass fibres drove the communications revolution and form the global backbone of the Internet, while touch-sensitive glass screens have revolutionised user interfaces,” Consol says.
Consumers appreciate glass's beauty, versatility, sustainability, trusted qualities and health-preserving properties and consistently show a preference for it as a packaging material. The growing use of glass packaging promotes sustainability, the company says.