New and ongoing initiatives showcase why glass packaging is the sustainable choice for wine producers and distillers, the importance of social and stakeholder responsibility, and the roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality
Napa, California — Saverglass, the world’s leading manufacturer and decorator of luxury and high-end glass bottles for wines and spirits, is celebrating its continued efforts to demonstrate why glass is the sustainable choice in the wine and spirits industry, details of its action-based initiatives that result in reducing carbon footprint and fighting against climate change.
“Our goal is to ensure our customers, suppliers, and shareholders that our model is sustainable and, more importantly, respectful of our planet’s climatic stakes,” said Régis Maillet, Marketing Director for Saverglass Group. “As a global player, we are committed to exemplary leadership in conducting coherent and authentic initiatives to optimize our resources and results.”
As a testament to Saverglass’ commitment to sustainability, the bottles are 100% recyclable. Glass is the only packaging material to be 100% recyclable, with no deterioration in the physic-chemical performance of the bottles produced from recycled glass. This circular material leads to an endless cycle of re-use in which neither quality nor quantity is affected. Moreover, Saverglass’ series of innovative new, and ongoing sustainable actions include:
1- 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report
Since 2009, Saverglass started building and sharing its sustainable commitment based on pragmatic principles through proper reporting and data. In 2021, Saverglass published the 2020-2021 CSR Report highlighting progress around its commitments to protecting the environment, developing its employees, and acting for society. In May of 2022, the company will publish a new CSR report outlining its yearly results.
2- Carbon Neutrality Roadmap
After completing a carbon footprint assessment (Bilan Carbone®) with the help of Carbone 4, Saverglass implemented an approach to adjust and finalize its low carbon roadmap. Saverglass initiated an energy management strategy to reduce CO2 emissions across the value chain, both upstream and downstream of its activity. Saverglass’ objective is to reduce the emissivity of its industrial process by 45% by 2035 and by 36% across its entire value chain (scopes 1, 2, and 3). Saverglass aims to continue its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Saverglass’ Several Low Carbon Innovation Programs:
3- Vercane
In October 2020, Saverglass was selected by Engie to participate in its first R&D program, in collaboration with Verescence and Fives, to decarbonize the glass manufacturing process: VERCANE stands for VERre CArboNEutre (carbon-neutral Glass).
4- Hydrogen Project (H2)
Glass manufacturing is energy-intensive and highly emissive of GHGs (greenhouse gases). To melt sand, limestone, and the sodium carbonate which compose the Glass requires the furnaces to be heated to 1,500°C and primarily fueled by natural gas. In the face of global warming, Saverglass believes decarbonizing is imperative. The Group uses and studies all the levers available to achieve its goal, including recovering heat from the flue gases using regenerators, rethinking the design of its furnaces and glass recipes, and exploiting intelligent technologies to save energy.
5- Organic Inks and Decoration
Since 2005, Saverglass has been the global pioneer for organic decoration; its entire finishing process has switched to organic glazes and inks, outpacing the competition. One particular service offered by Saverglass is the Organic Color Play® process, a wide range of organic ink-based colors that do not use heavy metals during production, such as lead (Pb), hexavalent chromium (Cr6), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg).
6- Contributing to Local Economic and Social Life
As part of its activities to contribute to the economic and social development of the regions, Saverglass favors local supplies and long-term partnerships with SMEs. The company enters into sustainable alliances with strategic suppliers (raw materials, mold makers, R&D, packaging, distribution, etc.) based on mutual respect, transparency, information-sharing, and regular communication. By incorporating ethical and environmental clauses into its contracts, Saverglass expects its partners to share its vision of economic activity that respects the environment, generates strong financial performance, and is socially responsible.
As proof of their commitment, Saverglass also received the Silver Award from Ecovadis, the only Universal Sustainability Ratings Provider, placing the Group in the top 25% of the most virtuous companies for sustainability.
To stay updated on coming news, follow Saverglass on Instagram @saverglassofficial and LinkedIn @saverglass.
About Saverglass
Saverglass is the world’s specialist in the manufacturing and decorating of premium and luxury glass bottles, with production sites spread across the globe to locally serve customers both large and small: three glass production sites and three decoration sites in France, one glass production site in Belgium, one glass production and decoration site in Mexico, one glass production site in the United Arab Emirates. Saverglass produces a total of about 520,000 tons of premium glass and decorates over 150 million bottles per year. In 2021 the Saverglass Group achieved a sales revenue of $675 million. Saverglass has publicly released a comprehensive 2020-2021 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report detailing its achievements, measurable progress, and objectives in reducing its environmental impact.
