Accelerating glass circularity: highlights from our latest workshop

We recently hosted the second edition of the Ecosurety glass circularity accelerator workshop, an exclusive event for our Premium members, glass industry stakeholders, and material experts.

Our circularity accelerator workshops are important events in the Ecosurety calendar, designed to connect key industry stakeholders to identify opportunities for collaboration that can accelerate packaging circularity. Our latest workshop took place on 9 April in Birmingham and focussed on glass.

The day began with an exploration of the current market conditions for glass, highlighting recycling sector performance and the flow of exported material. EPR waste management fees was a notable topic of discussion, and attendees deliberated the implications and opportunities presented by the latest regulatory measures. In the afternoon we facilitated two collaborative discussions, aiming to identify opportunities to unlock circularity and drive industry alignment.

The discussions were centred on the following themes:

Improving consumer perception of coloured glass

Recycling glass has been commonplace since Roman times. Using recycled glass offers environmental benefits, such as reduced carbon emissions when compared to making it from scratch. However, there are always small levels of contamination which are particularly noticeable in flint (clear) class, which causes a colour tinge. This issue is avoided in green and amber glass where the colour shift is less noticeable. Therefore the % of recycled content in amber and green glass is much higher than in clear glass. Given these challenges and the benefits of using a highly recycled glass, the question arises; why aren’t we using more coloured glass than clear for product packaging?

Our workshop attendees explored the issue of glass colour having a significant influence on consumer perception and engagement, particularly in food and beverage products where packaging is closely linked to product quality and brand identity.

Industry experts discussed at length how consistent consumer engagement and standardised changes across the market could improve perceptions of using coloured glass over clear for some product categories. The discussion emphasised the importance of educating consumers on the environmental benefits of coloured glass and highlighting the much higher use of recycled content in non-clear glass packaging.

The group concluded that future progress depends on aligning environmental goals with consumer education and mobilising brands and retailers to collectively increase locally produced coloured glass usage.

Making reuse systems work

The discussion on scaling glass reuse systems revealed a strong sense of optimism, with reuse seen as a transformative solution to improve circularity. However, attendees concluded that achieving meaningful impact hinges on overcoming significant infrastructure and investment barriers, particularly in markets like the UK where systems for cleaning, refilling, and redistributing glass are underdeveloped.

The conversation addressed the potential for shared infrastructure and co-investment by retailers and brand owners to unlock scalable solutions, while also recognising the geographical and logistical challenges. Participants stressed the importance of moving beyond isolated trials to action at scale, and consumer engagement was highlighted as an essential component to achieving success. Ultimately, the path forward lies in industry-wide collaboration, innovative funding models, and a willingness to embrace systemic change.

Working with the whole supply chain to achieve our common goals

Interested in attending an Ecosurety circularity accelerator workshop? Check out our future events!