Abstract
Glass manufacturing is a high-volume process, during which large substance quantities are transformed into commercial products, and significant amounts of non-renewable resources and energy (i.e., thermal fuels and electrical power) are consumed. The main purpose of this study is to give a critical explanation of the performance of the Italian container glass industry from the perspective of cullet being recycled, to outline the opportunities for transition towards circular business models that stimulate innovation in new sectors based on reverse-cycle activities for recycling. In 2015, disparate performances have been achieved as regards the container glass recycling rate in northern, central, and southern Italy, accounting for around 73%, 64%, and 55%, respectively. In fact, only northern Italy is in line with European targets, as by 2025 it will only need to increase its current performance by two percentage points, unlike central and southern Italy that will have to increase performance by, respectively, 11% and 20%. This shows a need to improve the efficiency of municipal waste collection systems in central and southern Italy, where undifferentiated waste still holds appreciable amounts of glass. Consequently, we propose several improvement channels, from the revision of waste legislation to the re-engineering of waste management supply chains.
Highlights
Glass is an amorphous solid without a crystalline internal structure that is mainly produced from natural raw materials abundant in the earth’s crust
The results indicate the need for better separate collection management of container glass, especially in some areas in southern Italy
Waste management represents a great challenge for the Italian landscape because Italy has traditionally landfilled most of its municipal solid waste
Summary
Glass is an amorphous solid without a crystalline internal structure that is mainly produced from natural raw materials abundant in the earth’s crust. Glass manufacturing is a high-volume process, during which large quantities of substances are turned into commercial products, consuming large amounts of non-renewable resources and energy in the process (thermal fuels and electrical power) [2,4,5] It is an energy- and resource-intensive industry, and, like other similar industries, such as the iron and steel, aluminium, cement, pulp and paper, and chemicals industries, is central to supporting the transition towards higher levels of energy and material efficiency, low carbon emissions, and increased resource productivity, through the deployment of better performance towards sustainability [6]. Waste glass containers are capable of operating in an efficient closed-loop system if well-supported by efficient municipal solid waste management
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