environmental responsibility
the environment:
our everyday focus
The aim of our environmental policy—a key part of our sustainable
development program—is to preserve natural resources and continuously
reduce the environmental impact of our activities. We also take action
to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and dust,
and to control risk by means of proven environmental management systems.
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recycled glass
4
key priorities
I ncreased use of recycled glass
R
educed CO emissions
2
I mproved energy efficiency of our processes
O
ptimized use of water resources
In accordance with the Health, Safety, Environment and Quality charter
implemented at our sites, new plant construction and major expansion projects
require an environmental risk assessment before they can proceed. An initial
environmental survey encompassing air, water, and soil quality and biodiversity is
conducted with the support of experts as well as local consultants who work across
all of Verallia’s activities. This survey then serves as a baseline for the sites concerned.
1. Increased use of recycled glass
in manufacturing
The use of recycled glass (in the form of
cullet) in the glass manufacturing process
brings major environmental benefits. It
boosts energy efficiency and reduces CO2
emissions, since for each additional 10%
of glass cullet that goes into our process we
use 3% less energy and produce 5% less CO2.
Using recycled glass in our furnaces also
means that we consume fewer natural
resources, since the cullet takes the place
of the natural raw materials used to make
glass (sand, limestone and soda ash).
Recycling one metric ton of cullet enables us
to save an average of 1.2 metric tons of raw
materials.
The proportion of recycled glass that
goes into our furnaces has increased
significantly in recent years as a result
of highly effective recycling programs in
some countries and the development
of more efficient processes in countries
such as the United States.
Some furnaces, such as those at Oiry
(France), Montblanc (Catalonia, Spain) and
Milford (Massachusetts, United States) can
handle up to 95% cullet.
Recycled glass usage is a key
performance indicator for production
facilities and is tracked on a monthly basis
using our industrial reporting system.
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72%
o
f glass
packaging
produced
in Europe
CO 2 emissions
The life cycle assessment (LCA) encompassed
72% (by volume) of glass packaging produced
in Europe and 75% of glass packaging
produced in the United States. It
enabled us to identify our key
environmental priorities.
75%
TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVINg
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL
DASHBOARDS:
MONITORING
PERFORMANCE
AT THE PLANT LEVEL
To ensure that our
environmental actions
of glass
packaging
produced
in the United
States
are deployed with
the necessary depth
and breadth, we have
introduced a system
of “dashboards” that
enables each production
site to assess its
performance against
a set of key indicators
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique for assessing the environmental impact
associated with all stages of a product’s life cycle.
An environmentally responsible company
needs a clear understanding of how its
activities affect the environment throughout
the life cycle of its products. LCA is a technique
that enables companies to achieve this
objective by quantifying the environmental
impact of every stage in a product’s life,
from extraction of raw materials, through
the distribution and use phases, to disposal
or recycling in the end. LCA is a highly
sophisticated multi-criteria assessment
technique that has become recognized as the
standard in the field.
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LCA is a key component of our sustainable
development program. It is used as a decision
support tool that enables us to:
• identify priority areas of focus
• ensure that implemented actions deliver
significant environmental benefits and
check that individual actions do not result
in pollution being transferred from one
impact category to another. (The use of
industrially decarbonated raw materials,
for example, might seem like a good idea,
but would merely involve shifting CO2
emissions to our suppliers with a negative
net impact on the environment, since the
product life cycle would then involve two
separate heating processes.)
(energy consumption;
use of renewable energy;
CO2, nitrogen oxide
(NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx)
and dust emissions;
water consumption;
waste recycling; and
With these goals in mind, LCA was
introduced to the glass packaging industry
in 2007:
• in the United States by the Glass Packaging
Institute (GPI - www.gpi.org),
• in Europe by the European Container Glass
Federation (FEVE - www.feve.org).
use of cullet). The
goal is to use this
industrial performance
assessment tool as a
platform for identifying
best practices and
implementing
operational
improvement plans.
2. Reduction of CO2 emissions
The CO2 emissions that result from our
industrial activities occur at different stages in
the product life cycle:
• The extraction or production of certain raw
materials, for example synthetic soda ash,
mainly used in Europe and South America,
generates CO2 emissions.
• The decomposition of raw materials in
glassmaking furnaces, in particular
sodium carbonate and limestone, may
also produce CO2.
• Greenhouse gas emissions also result from
energy use through:
- direct emissions from fossil fuels
(oil and natural gas) used in the melting
and forming stages of the process, or
- indirect emissions from the generation
of electricity used in our facilities.
• Other phases in our product life cycle
(such as transportation, secondary and
tertiary packaging, pallet production, etc.)
are also likely to generate greenhouse
gases.
We have been working to reduce these
emissions for several decades now,
using three primary methods:
• Continuously increasing the percentage
of recycled glass (cullet) used in place
of new raw materials in glassmaking
furnaces
• Reducing the consumption of energy
from fossil fuels
• Reducing electricity consumption
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energy efficiency
environmental responsibility
3. Improving the energy efficiency
of our processes
We are taking steps to reduce our energy
consumption in a number of key areas
by optimizing the operation of our furnaces
and leveraging technological innovations.
Optimizing furnace operation
In 2008, Verallia launched a world-class
manufacturing program at its plants.
Dubbed E² (Enterprise Excellence), the
program aims to make us more efficient
by continuously improving our industrial
processes.
The key areas of focus of the E² program
are organization, improvement of facilities
and elimination of waste.
E² also aims to foster a culture of
excellence among our teams in order to
optimize performance and competiveness
through the adoption of best practices. This
will enable us to meet the expectations
of our customers and all stakeholders more
effectively. The E² program is based on
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seven continuous improvement indicators:
quality, flexibility, team commitment,
availability, workplace safety, environment
and innovation.
One of the workflows of the E² program
involved looking at ways to reduce the
energy consumption of our furnaces. The
first stage involved identifying waste. The
work groups then focused on operating
conditions, and in particular optimizing
moisture control, excess combustion air
and glass temperature. Individual parameter
adjustments were tested at pilot sites
to assess the potential benefits.
As a result of the analyses conducted
within the scope of E², a furnace operation
and maintenance optimization program
was launched in 2010. Production managers
at each site carry out precise monthly
monitoring of furnace energy consumption
and compare the results with expected and
past consumption levels. Furnace operation
can then be adapted to ensure that
energy consumption is optimized. Energy
performance data obtained using this
method, known as “energy gap analysis,”
is fed into a comprehensive reporting
system that enables cross-comparison
of performance at different sites in a given
country. The program is currently being
rolled out to all Verallia plants in Western
Europe, the United States and Latin
America, and will subsequently be extended
to cover Eastern Europe and Algeria.
When our glass furnaces are rebuilt,
which happens every 10 to 14 years, we
systematically install the most energyefficient furnace technology available.
O
ptimizing the use of compressed
air in production facilities
The manufacture of our bottles and jars
involves a number of pneumatic devices
that operate using compressed air, which
is produced using electricity. Forming
machines (also known as IS machines)
are among the largest consumers
of compressed air. The pressure of the
compressed air can be optimized to
precisely meet a machine’s requirements,
thereby delivering savings in electricity
consumption. Although this approach has
already been successfully adopted at some
Verallia facilities, the quantity of energy
consumed in compressed air production still
needs to be reduced at other sites. Metering
systems are being put in place to allow
compressed air pressure and consumption
to be adapted to the specific needs of
each of our sites. Energy consumption for
compressed air production accounts for up
to 6% of the total energy consumption of a
glassmaking plant and almost 40% of the
total electricity consumption.
Verallia is working to reduce the amount
of energy we consume in producing
compressed air. Our target is a reduction of
approximately 7% in electricity consumption
(excluding melting).
FURNACE RECONSTRUCTION BRINGS
IMPROVEMENTS AT SAPULPA
In 2011, one of the end-port furnaces at Verallia North America’s Sapulpa facility was rebuilt,
providing the opportunity to implement a number of significant technological and process
improvements, including state-of-the-art burners incorporating the latest advances in
combustion technology (relating to air velocity and angle), as well as individual injector control.
These improvements, designed to ensure a more consistent flame and hence better combustion
control, have delivered a 35% reduction in the energy consumed by the furnace.
Process improvements included the publication of a user guide to support furnace operation,
together with information on burner settings and energy use.
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r
energy efficiency
environmental responsibility
Reducing reliance on fossil fuels
through targeted R&D activities
RENEWABLE ENERGY
In addition to its work to reduce reliance
on fossil fuels, Verallia is partnering with
potential suppliers of renewable energy,
and in particular biomass, with the intention
of using renewable energy to power glass
furnaces. The use of biomass energy reduces
fossil CO2 emissions from glassmaking plants,
and also helps reduce other environmental
impacts on the surrounding area through
the beneficial re-use of waste products.
In a further reflection of Verallia’s
engagement on this issue, the company
is leading a research and development project
with GDF Suez, Xylowatt, Cirad and CIVC,
with support from the French National
Research Agency, to promote the use
of vineyard biomass in the glass melting
process in the Champagne wine region.
The ultimate goal is to speed up the process
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of replacing fossil fuels with renewable
energy sources derived from wine production.
The objective of the project, titled BioViVe
(from the French for “Vineyard biomass for
glass melting”), is to replace fossil fuels used
in gas-fired furnaces with a synthetic gas
(or syngas) obtained from wood by-products
of vine pruning and uprooting activities.
The Champagne wine-producing region
boasts as-yet untapped biomass resources,
such as vine prunings, which are currently
burned in the vineyard, and uprooted vines.
The BioViVe project is adapting existing
wood gasification technology used in forestry
applications to the characteristics of vine
wood and optimizing the syngas obtained
for use in a glassmaking furnace. The vines
that produce Champagne will also generate
part of the energy needed to manufacture
the bottles in which they will be packaged.
Alongside their research work into syngas,
the project partners are also planning to set
up a local, sustainable biomass collection
network with local winegrowers.
When the development stage of the
BioViVe project is complete, 7% of the
fuel required for the glass furnace at Oiry
(Champagne region) will be replaced with
syngas on a trial basis. The ultimate goal
is to develop the process and associated
infrastructure to a level where up to 50%
of the furnace’s fuel needs can be met
with syngas.
Successful completion of the project on
an industrial scale will save 10,000 metric
tons of CO2 emissions per year in the
Champagne region, equivalent to the exhaust
emissions from approximately 5,000 vehicles.
In addition to its R&D work on vineyard
biomass, Verallia is investigating the
possibility of using biogas from the
fermentation of non-wood biomass as an
energy source for its glass furnaces. Tests
carried out at our plant at Bad Wurzach,
Germany, have shown that energy
substitution rates of around 10% could be
achieved under certain conditions. Work is
ongoing to adapt the characteristics of the
biogas to the requirements of glass furnaces
and boost potential energy substitution rates.
Alongside its continuous improvement
program, Verallia is working on a range
of research and development (R&D)
projects aimed at optimizing processes and
developing innovative solutions to reduce
energy consumption. The company works
in close partnership with Saint-Gobain
Recherche and has developed a number
of partnerships with startup companies.
For example, research into feeders
(the distribution channels used to equalize
the temperature of the glass and convey
it to the forming machines) is focused on
the development of a new feeder concept
designed to ensure that the glass is at
a more uniform temperature, thereby
reducing energy consumption.
Work is also underway to optimize
the ventilation system used for cooling
the forming moulds on IS machines, with
the aim of delivering a further reduction
in electricity consumption.
Another target area is the electricity
consumption of annealing lehrs (in which
the bottles and jars are strengthened by
being reheated and gradually cooled), which
we are aiming to reduce by optimizing the
applied temperature profile. This work could
eventually deliver a substantial reduction
in energy consumption.
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water
environmental responsibility
4. O
ptimized use of water resources
A certain quantity of natural resources must
be used as part of the glass production
process. Water, for example, is an important
resource, which we use mainly for
cooling installations that operate at high
temperatures. However, 17% of our sites
are located in “water stress” zones.
To limit the volume of water we extract,
we use closed-loop systems at our industrial
facilities whenever possible. Where a
closed-loop system is not in place, water
is systematically treated before being
discharged into the environment.
Our Figueira da Foz plant in Portugal,
for example, reduced its water consumption
by 20% between 2008 and 2011 as a result
of the implementation of a number of best
practices, such as the use of a rainwater pond
to allow water to be reinjected into the water
system of the manufacturing process;
the installation of a series of valves to
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control the water flow injected for cooling
the “gob” of molten glass after it has left the
furnace; and water temperature monitoring
throughout the water system.
The Albi plant in France, operated by
VOA, also reduced its water consumption by
30% between 2010 and 2011 after a detailed
analysis of the condition of buried piping at
the plant identified several defective pipes
and a number of significant leaks.
We are currently developing a sustainable
water management policy which will be
gradually rolled out to all sites with the aim
of minimizing the impact of our activities on
water resources.
REDUCTION OF OTHER ATMOSPHERIC EMISSIONS
We are also working to limit atmospheric
emissions other than CO2, in particular
nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from
the oxidation of combustion air at high
temperatures; sulfur oxides (SOx) arising
from the oxidation of sulfur contained
in the fossil fuel used to heat our glass
furnaces (mainly oil) and from sulfates
contained in the furnace batch material;
and dust, for which we aim to achieve
levels that go beyond those required by
national regulations.
Primary emissions reduction measures
applied to our furnaces over the past
20 years have reduced NOx emissions due
to combustion by almost half, as well
as delivering a significant reduction in
SOx emissions (in combination with the
use of low-sulfur fuel oil).
The company has made significant
investments in furnace equipment such as
electrostatic precipitators to treat gaseous
effluent and bring very significant reductions
in dust emissions. All of our plants in
Western Europe and Brazil have installed
electrostatic precipitators, and the systems
are currently being deployed at our plants in
the United States.
Recent years have seen significant
reductions in emissions at all of our sites.
In the period 2004-2011, dust emissions fell
by 50%, NOx emissions by 20% and SOx
emissions by 9%.
Finally, our research and development
teams are now developing an innovative
combustion technique designed to
significantly reduce NOx emissions
generated during the manufacturing process.
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