For the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE), there is hardly any doubt that the glass industry is in a very strong position when it comes to sustainable development.

Glass can be recycled without loss of quality over and over again,” explained Niall Wall, FEVE president on the occasion of a press conference. Contrarily to other materials, glass does not lose its quality and original properties during the recycling process. That’s, for instance, what enabled the SGD group to create its famous ‘Verre Infini’ (Infinite Glass), 100% recycled and 100% recyclable.

According to FEVE Technical Director Fabrice Rivet, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted on 200 furnaces, representing 72% of the European container glass production, shows indisputable savings on energy, raw materials and CO2 every time the industry recycles glass. Within Europe, approximately 62% of the glass production is collected for recycling, among which 97% is recycled.

MEP Kathleen van Brempt, who participated in the conference, stressed the glass industry promising model.

According to Kathleen van Brempt, “Cradle to Cradle is our future. The glass industry is in a strong starting position when it comes to recycling.

With almost 20 million tons, the European Union is the biggest container glass producer in the world.

MEP Kathleen van Brempt, at the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE) on-line conference, on September 29, 2010 in Brussels