The post-consumer glass recycling scheme developed by leading integral blinds manufacturer Morley Glass in conjunction with Saint-Gobain Glass has been named the winner of the G23 Award for ‘sustainability initiative of the year’.
Winning the prestigious award in the ‘industry Oscars’ is high level recognition for the scheme which, in the space of two years, has saved a vast amount of resources, energy and CO2 emissions, as well as providing thousands of pounds in financial support for numerous good causes.
The Morley Glass and Saint-Gobain Glass collaboration has shown that old, end-of-life double glazed units removed during window and door replacement work can be successfully diverted away from landfill into the re-manufacture of higher performing new glass.
Under the scheme, Morley Glass collects post-consumer IGUs using its fleet of delivery vans. Drivers pick up the old sealed units from installers free of charge when they deliver new orders of Uni-Blinds®, and these are transported back to the Morley Glass HQ near Leeds where they are crushed into cullet. This high quality raw material is then supplied to Saint-Gobain Glass who have invested in the facilities and processes to use it in place of virgin raw materials for the production of new float glass.
So far, Morley Glass has generated nearly 2,500 bags of cullet, which has saved the need for more than 1,850 tonnes of sand and reduced CO2 emissions in the glass manufacturing process by over 1,000 tonnes. This is because the use of cullet in place of virgin raw materials means less energy is needed to operate the furnace.
The initiative is not only improving the sustainability of glass manufacturing, however. It also helps installers to save thousands of pounds every year on waste disposal costs, and benefits the wider community through the GreenVision fund. All revenue raised through the production of cullet is made available to eligible charities, groups and individuals who are working on initiatives to deliver environmental or social improvements in their communities.
The post-consumer glass recycling scheme has been so successful that it now provides an effective model for others in the industry to adopt. Saint-Gobain Glass is, in fact, already partnering with window fabricators and installers across the UK to roll-out similar schemes.
Ian Short, Managing Director of Morley Glass said, “We’re absolutely over the moon to win the G23 Award for sustainability. There really is no bigger honour to receive in the UK fenestration industry so it is fantastic for our hard work and commitment to be rewarded in this way.
“The scheme could not have succeeded, however, without the positive mindset and buy-in from our partners at Saint-Gobain Glass, everyone in the Morley Glass team and, most importantly, our installer customers. We’re delighted that so many of our customers have already accepted our offer to collect their waste glass, and it is really encouraging to see more installers coming on board every month.
“The icing on the cake for everyone involved is the fact that so many community improvement initiatives benefit too. In 2023, the scheme has been able to provide funding for everything from dance scholarships to an organisation which manufactures blankets for homeless people using waste crisp packets, and we look forward to supporting many more initiatives in 2024.”
Find out more about the glass recycling initiative and the GreenVision fund at www.morleyglass.co.uk.
