In recent years there has been an ongoing war of words between industry players from different packaging formats over which has the lightest carbon footprint. However, a general consensus appears to have been reached that energy hotspots occur at different lifecycle stages in all packaging materials, be it at the manufacturing stage for materials such as glass & metal or CO2 release during disposal, for plastics. Mindful of both environmental & economic gains, Ardagh Group is employing a raft of innovative methods designed to reduce energy use by 16% & carbon dioxide emissions by 20& across its glass manufacturing sites by 2017 compared to 2007. As part of our special edition on alternatives to carbon heavy processes, the company spoke to www.beveragedaily.com about its multi-faceted plan to reach its eco-targets, involving waste heat recovery schemes, carbon dioxide capture technology & an industry-leading batch pre-heating process on its raw materials. Ardagh said its strategy is informed by a dual approach of being fully committed to reducing its environmental footprint, while ensuring that such advances are economically viable. "We want to be sustainable in terms of the energy use & carbon dioxide reduction but we also want to be economically sustainable," said Steffen Seehausen, environment & sustainability manager for the company. "We always try to link the two things."
