Glass Packaging and Sustainability –
Global Approach
Günter Lubitz, Vetropack
Bülach, Switzerland
World Packaging Days 2012, Split, Croatia
Agenda
1. The Vetropack Group
2. Packaging Glass
3. Sustainability at Vetropack
3.1. Economical
3.2. Social
3.3. Ecological
3.3.1. Use of Cullet (recycled glass)
3.3.2. Batch (raw materials) and Cullet Preheating
3.3.3. Lightweight Technology
3.3.4. Hardglass
4. Summary
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1. The Vetropack Group
7 plants
 4.2 bn unit sales
 589 m CHF gross revenue
 59 m CHF annual profit
 85 m CHF investments
 2,971 employees

 Bülach, Vetropack Holding Ltd
 Production Plants
CH: St-Prex, Vetropack Ltd
AT: Pöchlarn, Vetropack Austria GmbH
Kremsmünster, Vetropack Austria GmbH
CZ: Kyjov, Vetropack Moravia Glass, a.s.
SK: Nemšová, Vetropack Nemšová, s.r.o.
HR: Hum Na Sutli, Vetropack Straža d.d.
UA: Gostomel, JSC Vetropack Gostomel
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2. Packaging Glass
Made from natural and abundant raw materials
 Environmentally safe and 100% unlimited recyclability
 Pure, inert, gas-tight  ultimate preservation of filled goods

Mix preparation
Furnace
Feeder
Melting into fluid glass
Row materials
Modeling
containers in ISmashine
Hot zone
Quality controll equipement
Packiging
Cooling zone
Packiging materials

Flow chart of production process
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3. Sustainability at Vetropack
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3.1. Economical

Sustainability and long-term economic
success are interdependent

Family company with long-term success before short-term profit
maximization
3.2. Social

Socially committed – from the beginning

Comprehensive health and safety regulations

Meeting employees’ social requirements – irrespective of location
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3.3. Ecological


Manufacturing Process – taking responsibility for our environment

Use of cullet (recycled)

Batch (raw materials) and cullet preheating
Product – taking responsibility for the product and its quality

Lightweight technology

Hardglass
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3.3.1. Recycling Rates in Europe – 2010
 Benefits of cullet use
- 2.4% less energy per 10% cullet increase
- 5.5% less CO2 per 10% cullet increase
 Effect for Europe
- More than 12m tons of raw materials
conserved
- More than 7m tons of CO2 avoided
 Average cullet use of Vetropack
Group is 60%
Source: FEVE
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3.3.2. Batch and Cullet Preheating


Goal: Waste heat from flue gases to preheat raw materials
and cullet
Flexibility regarding cullet ratios (15 – 90% in trials)
Energy input 100%
Source: Zippe
Energy in
glass 48%
Energy in flue
gas 30%
Scource: Horn
Wall losses 22%
 Benefits: Preheater works with batch/cullet ratio of only 14%
 A full-scale preheater will result in up to 15% energy savings
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3.3.3. Lightweight Technology
Goal: Weight reductions
 Benefits:
 raw material savings
 energy savings
 CO2 reduction
 smaller carbon footprint

Source: Emhart Glass
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3.3.3.1. Weight Reduction of Wine & Beer Bottles
100cl Bordeaux
75cl Bordeaux
–16% to 420g
–13% to 350g
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33cl Beer
–13% to 165g
33cl Beer
–10% to 185g
3.3.4. Hardglass – Goals and Process
De-palletizer
Bottle
Spacer
Stacker Lehr
Hard Glass
Machine
Cooling
Cold End
Conveyors Coating
Hard Glass
Inspection FlexInspect

Goal – to produce a more robust and/or a lighter bottle

Hardglass – a process to thermally strengthen glass containers

Post process – bottles are heated to 615°C – 650°C

Bottles are lifted from the lehr belt and placed into cooling shrouds

Air enters the shrouds to cool the external surface and
air enters through a tube to cool the internal surface

Glass surface compression stress is generated inside and outside

Tensile stress is generated within the glass
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3.3.4.1. Hardglass Process
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3.3.4.2. What Does It All Mean?

Improvement of mechanical and thermal properties of glass containers

Typical test results

31% increase in average internal pressure resistance

35% increase in average impact strength

significant improvement

in line simulation

in drop test

in vertical load

in thermal shock
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200ml
130gm
3.3.4.3. Drop Test
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3.3.4.4. Drop Test Results – Long Neck Beer Bottle
Filled Drop Results - 209 Gram Beer made on 11/17/2009
45
40
Annealed Pass
Number of Survivors (out of 40 samples per height)
Tempered Pass
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
1.5
32
2.5
4
5
3
Annealed Pass
20
3
2
0
0
Tempered Pass
39
26
17
16
8
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Drop Height (m)
3.5
6
3.3.4.5. Potential for Weight Reduction
1000
900
800
Gewicht in g
700
600
500
400
300
Light Weight
200
Standard Weight
Ultra Light Weight
100
Est. Min. HG Weight
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Inhalt in ml
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700
800
900
1'000
1'100
3.3.4.6. Benefits for End Consumers and Bottlers

More robust packaging glass

Fewer filling line breakages expected

Possibilities for optimizing packaging,
e.g. no cardboard separators

Possibilities for reducing weight of
returnable
non-returnable bottles

Perhaps non-returnable bottles could be used as
returnable bottles (?)

Smaller carbon footprint through weight reduction

Leveraging drop test results – use of packaging glass in stadiums,
vending machines, bars and restaurants, homes ….
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3.3.4.7. Realization and Commercialization

Market launch as joint project between

Installation of most flexible Hardglass post process

48 bottle-per-minute line to be installed at Pöchlarn, Austria
- 2.0 million/month

Ware range
- 100 to 1,000ml
- 50 to 95mm diameter
- 100 to 320mm height under finish

Production start early 2013

Strong interest from Vetropack’s key accounts

2013 & 2014 - Design and build higher-capacity version (≥ 250 bpm)
for in-process production (after forming machine)
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&
4. Summary

Glass Packaging is inert, gas-tight, and ensures taste preservation

It is environmentally friendly with 100% unlimited recyclability

Packaging glass industry has a global sustainability approach

Sustainability covers economical, social and ecological aspects

Use of cullet saves energy and reduces CO2 emissions

Batch and cullet preheating improves energy efficiency for melting

Lightweight technology helps to conserve raw materials and energy

Hardglass is an innovative approach to produce a more robust and
lighter glass packaging and improve its carbon footprint

Container glass is the sustainable packaging material
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