PERRYSBURG, Ohio, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI),
the world's largest manufacturer of glass packaging, today
announced an aggressive plan to significantly reduce energy
consumption and carbon emissions across its worldwide operations
during the next decade.
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O-I recently conducted a complete life cycle assessment of the
environmental impact of glass containers, which will serve as a
crucial baseline for tracking the company's progress. The
assessment, which included data comparing glass with aluminum and
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), covered every aspect of the
lifecycle of glass – from raw material extraction to transportation
to recycling, reuse or disposal.
With 2007 as a baseline, O-I intends to achieve the following by
2017:
- Cut its global energy consumption by 50 percent
- Reduce carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by 65 percent
- Nearly double its use of recycled glass so that a global
average of 60 percent of each O-I container is recycled
material
- Eliminate workplace accidents
"Our recent life cycle assessment showed that glass already has
a smaller carbon footprint than other packaging materials. But, we
see room for additional improvement in the carbon footprint of
glass and our company as the world's leading maker of glass
packaging," said O-I Chief Executive Officer Al Stroucken. "While our goals are extremely
aggressive, we are confident that they are achievable and that they
will have a significant and positive impact on the environment. Our
goal is to be the world's most sustainable glass packaging
maker."
O-I already has taken a number of steps to meet these goals,
including reducing some bottle weights by nearly 30 percent,
cutting energy usage by 8 percent in the past three years and
launching safety education programs throughout the company.
Achieving the company's recycling goals may require addressing
fundamental challenges in the way recycling systems currently
function. "Recycling systems work well in certain parts of the
world. Europe has the most
sophisticated and successful programs, but in the United States and other countries, a
significant amount of glass slated for recycling actually ends up
in landfills," said Jay Scripter,
O-I vice president of sustainability. "We want to use that glass to
make new glass containers. O-I has an opportunity to be a leader on
this issue and make a significant impact."
Glass is the only packaging material that can be recycled an
infinite number of times. Using recycled glass directly reduces the
amount of energy required to process raw materials. Every 10
percent of recycled glass used in production cuts carbon emissions
by 5 percent and saves 3 percent in energy use. Currently, the
average recycled content in O-I bottles is an industry-leading 36
percent.
To ensure successful implementation of its sustainability
initiatives, O-I has appointed a senior-level steering committee,
led by CEO Al Stroucken, and created
dedicated action teams to lead the efforts, oversee progress and
ensure success. The company intends to issue reports on its
progress in achieving these sustainability goals in the future.
About O-I
Millions of times a day, O-I glass containers deliver many of
the world's best-known consumer products to people all around the
world. With the leading position in Europe, North
America, Asia Pacific and
Latin America, O-I manufactures
consumer-preferred, 100-percent recyclable glass containers that
enable superior taste, purity, visual appeal and value benefits for
our customers' products. Established in 1903, the company employs
more than 22,000 people with 78 plants in 22 countries. In 2009,
net sales were $7.1 billion. For more
information, visit www.o-i.com.
SOURCE Owens-Illinois, Inc.