The planet’s biggest manufacturer for the glass packaging industry unveiled study results today detailing the exact life cycle of glass containers. O-I’s life cycle assessment (LCA) measures each phase of a glass container’s life cycle to account for all carbon emissions. The assessment was part of the company’s latest sustainability programme.
O-I study incorporated calls from consumer product manufacturers, environmental groups and customers to achieve a clearer idea of LCA reporting. The study is the first of its kind for the packaging sector that follows the complete life cycle of a package. From extraction of the raw materials down to the recycling of the packaging, the model allowed an evaluation of life cycle data for aluminum and plastic containers to be made.
Al Stroucken, O-I CEO, said that prior to this study it was difficult to make comparisons between packaging groups by emissions rates. He added that many of the previously used assessments only took into account one aspect of a product’s life cycle, and that O-I needed information that would approach the comparison in a comprehensive manner.
O-I research used existing data available to the public in addition to manufacturing data regarding the production process of plastic and aluminum and compared that to those of glass packaging. AMR research was responsible for testing and validating the O-I life cycle assessment model.
According to Jay Scripter, O-I’s vice president for sustainability, the study clearly indicates that glass has the lowest carbon footprint as a packaging material. By looking at a complete life cycle for glass, Mr Scripter added, preconceived notions about the sustainability of glass are disproved.
|
|
