A webinar focused on raw materials processing and recycling had 160 participants from 50 countries.

The two-day webinar, organised by GlassTrend, included 10 presentations via video-conference from a variety of glass technology suppliers, glass manufacturers and glass customers.

It was the largest attendance of a GlassTrend event.

Day one focused on Raw Materials Processing and the speakers were:

  • Hans van Limpt, Sibelco: ‘Redesigned, future-proof glass batch formulations’.
  • Matthias Rohmann, Lhoist: ‘The use of calcined limestone and dolomite products for CO2 reduction in glass melting processes’.
  • Allen Zheng, US Borax: ‘The value in use that various anhydrous boron compounds bring over hydrous compounds in glass application’.
  • Robert Ireson, Glass Futures/GTS: ‘Developing biomass-ash derived raw materials to reduce the environmental impact of the glass sector’.
  • Mathi Rongen, CelSian: ‘Accurate energy demand measurements of industrial glass batches with new raw materials’.
  • Andrea Perla, AB InBev: ‘Glass and circular packaging at AB InBev’.
  • Thilo Becker, RWTH Aachen University: ‘An overview of glass fibre recycling’.
  • Cor Wittekoek, Vlakglas Recycling Nederland: ‘Collecting and recycling of flat glass, a step forward to a circular economy’.
  • Hans Hilkes, Ardagh: ‘Ardagh approach on cullet’.
  • Philipp Zippe, Zippe: ‘Batch and cullet preheating- a comeback?’.

Day two investigated recycling and the circular economy and speakers were

Anne Jans Faber, GlassTrend Chairman said at the end of the conference: "In the last presentation from Philipp Zippe, he asked the most important question: ‘Can the glass industry change from cost-driven to environmentally-driven?’.

"That’s a very important question, which we should discuss more in the future.”