Pittsburgh, PA, which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of glass manufacturing, is the setting for Glass Day 2007. On May 3 – 4 executives and technology leaders in the U.S. glass industry will meet to focus on innovation and the environment.

"Energy and sustainability are affecting the glass industry more than anything else right now, so these issues are at the top of the agenda," says Dan Wishnick, Industry Manager at Siemens Energy and Automation, which is helping to sponsor the event.

"Sustainability is much broader than energy," says Wishnick. "The glass industry also needs to be thinking about reducing its carbon foot print, and sustainable business models that include innovation and having a positive effect on employees and the environments where factories are located."

Speakers from both inside and outside the industry will address carbon tax, being a green company, and alternative energy. Technical presentations on energy efficiency technologies are the focus of the second day. "Now that natural gas costs have essentially doubled with its corresponding effect on electricity, the glass industry really needs to go to the next level of innovation to reduce energy and manufacturing costs, while continuing to improve market share," says Wishnick.

One expected outcome of this event is the development of a new industry roadmap. The current roadmap was created with the help of the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1990s. "We also hope to encourage government support of the glass industry again as part of its Industrial Technologies Program," says Wishnick.

The event is sponsored in part by Siemens Energy and Automation, PPG Industries, Inc., and Glass Manufacturing Industry Council. Get event details

The Entries Are In, But Who Will Win?

GPI's 2007 Clear Choice Awards

Industry representatives and media joined GPI for a sneak peak at over 110 entries in the 2007 Clear Choice Awards. Judging of the entries and a Viewing of the Entries Reception were held April 4th at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. A team of five judges evaluated entries on aesthetics, creativity, marketability, and form and functionality.

2007 winners will be announced at the Clear Choice Awards Presentation on May 7, 2007 during the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Show 2007 in Chicago. RSVP to join us there. And stop by the GPI exhibit at All Things Organic.

The distinguished panel of judges included:

Entries are judged the following categories: Beer; Wine; Food; Carbonated Beverage; Non-Carbonated Beverage; Distilled Spirits; Flavored Alcoholic Beverage; Organic Food; Organic Beverage; Fragrance/Cosmetics; and Overall Package Design.

All 2007 Clear Choice Awards winners benefit from industry-wide recognition and brand-building media coverage. Winners also receive an all expenses paid trip to Chicago to attend the Clear Choice Awards Presentation at the FMI Show 2007 Chicago (May 6 - May 8, 2007). 2007 winning products will be displayed at the FMI Show, Pack Expo Las Vegas 2007 (October 15 -17, 2007) and at the Package Design Conference Expo. Finally, winners receive an engraved one-of-a-kind Clear Choice Award designed by internationally renowned, Smithsonian-exhibited glass artist, Tim Tate.

See the 2006 Clear Choice Award winners on display at the Package Design Showcase at INTERPHEX from April 24 – 26, 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

National Inventors Hall of Fame Inducts Michael J. Owens

The National Inventors Hall of Fame announced 41 inventors willl be inducted into the 2007 hall of fame. Among those are Michael J. Owens and his invention that revolutionized the glass industry—the automatic glass bottle-making machine.

This invention made glass a commodity instead of a luxury. It also helped to eliminate child labor, which was rampant in the early glassblowing days. Owens work also made it possible for thousands of jobs to be created—jobs that are still in existence today.

Michael J. Owens, a glassmaker since the age of 10, moved to Ohio to join a start-up glass company founded by Edward Libbey in 1888 and began America's first industry—glassmaking. Libbey financed Owens' dream of creating a glassblowing machine, the most significant development in glassmaking since the invention of the blowpipe more than 3,000 years ago.

Owens' success came in 1903 when he made the first automatic glass bottle-making machine. The machine created bottles so quickly and cheaply it facilitated the growth of numerous industries that bottled everything from food and beverages to household chemicals.

Owens went on to help develop mass-production techniques for window glass and helped guide the company into research that eventually led to the production of fiberglass. Read the news release

GLASS RECYCLING

NYC Pilot Tests Recycling in Public Spaces

Starting April 2nd New Yorkers can recycling their paper, cans, and plastic and glass bottles at blue and green recycling bins placed in and around the Whitehall and Saint George Staten Island Ferry terminals, as well as Poe Park in the Bronx, Columbus Park in Brooklyn, Union Square Park in Manhattan, Hoffman Park in Queens, and Tappen Park and Clove Lakes Park on Staten Island.

Read Mayor Bloomberg's news release

"The Public Space Recycling Pilot will demonstrate how much recyclable material we can capture from our litter basket waste stream," said Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty. "The Department's recently-released comprehensive Waste Characterization Study found that as much as 50% of the contents of the city's 25,000 litter baskets could be recycled, especially plastic and glass bottles, aluminum cans and newspapers."

Officials hope the three-month pilot will encourage New Yorkers to recycle in public places—and help the City reach targeted recycling goals. The program was initiated in accordance with the NYC's Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan which calls for 25% diversion by 2008. The current rate is 18%.

To inform New Yorkers about the program, an outreach campaign includes posters at bus stops and phone kiosks near pilot locations. During the first week of the program, morning copies of the daily Metro wrapped in promotional flyers were distributed at the Saint George Ferry Terminal. At evening rush hour Department of Sanitation staff handed out free bottles of water with a custom label publicizing the program at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal.

After collection, the material, in addition to being recycled, will be subject to a waste characterization study that will determine the effectiveness of the program. The Department of Sanitation , in collaboration with the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of Transportation, is conducting the Public Space Recycling Pilot. Get full program details

WA State Offers Grants to Boost Beverage Container Recycling

Awards of up to $100,000 are being offered to test the use of incentives, excluding "bottle bills," to increase the collection, recovery and recycling of used beverage containers in Washington State. Find out more

LEGISLATION

State "Bottle Bill" Legislation in Full Swing

First quarter 2007 was active for state legislators introducing bottle bill deposit programs and expansions. Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, Oregon and Vermont have each introduced expansion legislation for their state's bottle deposit program. While the focus of these expansions is primarily plastic water bottles, non-carbonated beverages, such as tea and juice bottles packaged in glass are also included in several of the bills.

Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia have also introduced bottle bill legislation that would include glass containers. With some state legislature deadlines already passed, Maryland and West Virginia legislation would have to be reintroduced next session in order to be considered.

Connecticut, Hawaii and Oregon, however, have each seen bottle bill expansion pass crucial committee votes. The Connecticut bill, SB 1289, would expand the bottle deposit law to include water and other non-carbonated beverages such as iced teas, juices and sports drinks. Hawaii's SB 1026, now in the House chamber, would expand the state's program to include 68-ounce containers. Oregon SB 707, which would expand the state's bottle bill to include water, recently passed out of a Senate committee vote. This bill currently does not include non-carbonated beverages.

A New York state expansion proposal to include all non-carbonated beverages and place all unredeemed deposits into a state environmental fund by Governor Eliot Spitzer was removed from the state budget shortly before the state legislature approved the budget.

1000 WORDS

The Art of Glass

A First Look at GPI's One-of-a-Kind Clear Choice Award

Internationally renowned, Smithsonian-exhibited glass artist Tim Tate creates GPI's NEW Clear Choice Award.

Copyright © 2007 Glass Packaging Institute 

If you, or someone you know would like to subscribe to "Inside Glass Packaging," or if you'd like to unsubscribe, please let us know at info@gpi.org. If you'd like to unsubscribe, you can also click here.