Environment

The manufacture of glass makes relatively small demands on the environment, essentially using minerals to produce a benign product which has many uses. However small its environmental impact the glass industry continually seeks to make improvements: Energy consumption, which is closely linked to global warming, has been halved over the past 20 years. Despite this good performance, opportunities still exist to make further reductions. Because of its efforts under the Climate Change Agreement, the glass industry pays the reduced rate of 20% Climate Change Levy (still some £3.3m per yer in addition to the original cost of the energy). The industry is committed to a programme of energy efficiency measures which will ensure continued improvements to the year 2013.

British Glass contributes to this process of improved environmental performance by keeping its industry members fully apprised of legislative demands and the provision of technical information.