Glass Tableware products made by FEVE Member manufacturers are sustainably sound and comply with high quality standards. FEVE, the European Container Glass Federation, is the European Federation of glass packaging and glass tableware makers. Founded in 1977 and headquartered in Brussels, FEVE is an international not-for-profit association, which currently numbers over 60 company members and 22 corporate groups across the European Union, Switzerland and Turkey. FEVE is the official voice of the glass container industry at European level. It promotes the common interests of its members throughout Europe. FEVE Glass Tableware companies share the vision of a sustainable industry which is able to adapt and to face the future challenges of a globalised market. Economic effectiveness, social equity and responsible behaviour towards the environment are no longer seen as imposed rules from the European regulatory framework, but as key criteria that are part of the companies business strategies. The environmental impact of the whole production process is constantly assessed in all plants through data inventories regularly updated. While being used as reference for complying with the national and European regulatory frameworks (1), these collected data are also used to comply with environmental ISO standards such as the ISO 14001 are helping to inform about new technological developments and improve the state of art in glass making. These new technologies help to reduce costs allocated to energy and free up new financial resources for business growth strategies. For this reason, FEVE Glass Tableware producers have since a long time committed their technical and scientific resources to an efficient and environment friendly management of resources and technology development, a constant qualitative upgrade of the production process and a full respect of the ethical code and human rights. Products provided by FEVE Glass Tableware Member Companies are subject to regular and rigorous quality checks. All the production steps, from the selection of the primary raw materials to the control of the finished product are in full compliance with the strictest conformity standards such as the ISO 9001. They imply a complete and systematic overview and re-assessment of the technical specifications of a product where this has been subject to design and technical modifications. If the original specifications do not reflect the correct quality requirements and cannot be certified, the production process simply does not start. All tableware glass are submitted to resistance tests to/for: 1) thermo shock differential; 2) impact tests; 3) resistance of the rim; 4) twisting of stem; 5) washing cycles; 6) glass transparency and brilliance; etc. Detailed information on tests procedures can be provided by the manufacturing companies. As materials in contact with food, glass tableware produced in the European Union complies with the EC Good manufacturing practice for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (2). The EC regulation harmonises manufacturing procedures at all stages of production, from manufacture to distribution. EU based manufacturers must establish a quality assurance system and a quality control system following the detailed manufacturing regulations, for example the processes involving printing inks. Glass Tableware (soda-lime and crystal glass) is also exempt from REACH (3) and therefore classified as a substance which does not contain any chemical substances dangerous for the human health. Glass tableware items provided to customers by FEVE Glass Tableware companies around the world are the symbol of their constant engagement to renew themselves and to propose themselves as factories of the future while guaranteeing the best products on the market and services in full respect of the environment and of the consumer.
