ENERGY-EFFICIENT INSULATING GLASS IS THE KEY BUILDING MATERIAL OF THE SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
Glass is the main building material of sustainable infrastructure. No modern building is complete without modern windows and glass facades.
Europe and North America are on the threshold of a green revolution in which glass and other modern materials will play a key role. Press Glass is prepared to be a part of this process, as glass undoubtedly has a great future.
We are confident that we are contributing to real changes to protect the environment through our policies and the implementation of appropriate measures.
THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMITTED DURING THE PRODUCTION OF ENERGY SAVING GLASS IS OFFSET BETWEEN 5 AND 18 MONTHS.
SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
The sustainable construction aspect, aimed to make windows better insulated, is key today, as a large part of today’s buildings will still be in use in 2050.
Today’s technology allows the production of windows with incomparably better parameters of transmittance and thermal insulation with the values of Uw < 1.0 W/(m2K). Achieving such a ratio makes it possible to design and modernise nearly-zeroenergy buildings.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
We continuously invest in innovative technologies to increase energy efficiency throughout our manufacturing operations. By optimising the parameters of our machines and production lines, we are reducing energy consumption and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, each of Press Glass’ plants has photovoltaic installations to cover part of its electricity needs. We have also decided to implement the international 50001 Energy Management System standard in 2024.
WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING
We believe in the principle that all waste should be treated as a potential secondary raw material. Due to the specific nature of the industry, our main waste is cullet. It goes directly back to the glassworks as a charge in the glass furnace, where new glass panes are melted again. Glass cullet at Radomsko has the status of a co-product. In addition, the main components necessary for the production of insulating glass units, such as the sealing mass, are processed on site in order to be fully utilized. The remaining production waste is recycled, recovered or returned to the manufacturer for reprocessing. We have implemented a ‘zero waste to landfill’ policy.
WATER CONSERVATION
We prioritize responsible water management, aiming to minimize water usage and preserve this precious resource. Our production processes incorporate water-saving measures, and we continually seek opportunities to optimize water consumption and improve efficiency. We aim to close the water cycle in Press Glass plants.
An example is the implementation of a reverse osmosis process used to wash glass after processing and before assembling. The recycled water is also used to cool the tools and is then returned to the treatment plant.
EMISSIONS REDUCTION
Press Glass adhere to stringent environmental regulations, working diligently to minimize emissions of pollutants and harmful substances. Company, aware of climate change, has been implementing measures to reduce its environmental impact for many years. We are a manufacturer of finished raw material – glass, which means that our scope 1 (direct) and scope 2 (indirect) emissions are significantly lower than those of scope 3 (other indirect emissions generated in the value chain). In order to reduce direct emissions, we are constantly upgrading our machinery and transport fleet. We also carry out constant monitoring and ongoing inspection of the semi-finished products we order from our Suppliers as well as the finished products we produce.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION
We recognise that sustainability is a continuous journey and actively seek sources of innovation. Such a model ensures our position as the European leader in glass processing and provides technological leadership.
Press Glass’ R&D department is constantly optimising the glass processing, implementing improvements to reduce the consumption of raw materials, thus contributing to the development of sustainable production practices. Our new factories are highly automated, energy efficient and use fewer resources to produce 1 square metre of glass.
At the same time, we are optimising existing plants, for example in the UK and the US, where we are converting several smaller branches into one modern, efficient factory.
IN TOUCH WITH NATURE
We incorporate elements of ecology into our corporate responsibility activities. The idea of the Earth as a common home guides us in the organisation of events such as ‘Clean up the World’ or tree planting. We want our activities to contribute to raising awareness of ecology and environmental protection in a broad sense.
