O-I to open glass cullet optical sorting plant in Queensland

Glass container manufacturer O-I Australia is opening a state-of-the-art glass cullet optical sorting plant in South East Queensland.

The high-capacity cullet optical sorting plant will recover large volumes of recycled glass for use at the company’s glass container manufacturing plant in Brisbane. Jointly funded by the Australian Packaging Covenant, it is set to open in early 2015.

O-I Australia Director of Procurement Gary Combes said the facility will be capable of processing a significant volume of furnace-ready cullet, far in excess of the current capabilities in Queensland. He said the plant will “ensure all glass has an opportunity to be recovered through a closed-loop process and recycled into new glass containers - not down-cycled or sent to landfill”.

O-I Australia is now seeking interest from glass recyclers in Queensland and northern NSW to supply in-feed glass for the plant. Interest is also sought from small recyclers and regional centres interested in an economically viable option to recycle glass into a high-value use.

Flat-glass and fine-grind cullet continues to be a growing source of recycled glass for the Australian operation. Fine-grind cullet is ground recycled glass that is processed from a size that is too small to be sorted using traditional sorting technology. The fine-grind process removes metals and organic contaminants so that it is suitable for use in glass container manufacturing.

In the 2012-13 reporting period, O-I Australia worked with employees, suppliers, government and the general public to divert 292,614 tonnes of glass packaging from being placed into landfill - a 26% increase on the 2011-12 result. Post-consumer cullet from landfill accounted for 37% of the total glass tonnes melted by O-I Australia, resulting in approximately 1.2 billion new glass bottles and jars.

The company has global sustainability goals designed to improve workplace safety, cut CO₂-equivalent emissions and energy consumption, and increase the use of recycled glass. Using recycled glass in the production process uses less energy to melt a smaller amount of raw materials, which in turn reduces the company’s carbon emissions.

Glass recyclers are invited to contact O-I Australia’s regional director business improvement, Craig Mynott, on 08 7300 7750 or via craig.mynott@ap.o-i.com.