Welcome to the Glass Age

32 is a disadvantage, but the industry is working hard on light-weighting. It is also investing in new products, increased energy efficiency and improvements in the environmental performance of glass products throughout their lifecycle (Chapter 7). Future success will require companies to adopt ‘smart technologies’ that improve consumer experience and maintain product integrity across the supply chain. Such trends are universal. For example, Chinese colleagues report that glass is becoming the packaging material of choice for their government. The Chinese glass container manufacturing industry has experienced continuous growth in recent years. Aggregate operating revenue in glass- packaging container manufacturing industry was 61 billion RMB in 2019. As a green product, the glass container surely offers extensive development possibilities. Of particular significance are the chemically resistant glass containers for pharmaceutical use (vials, ampoules, syringes, cartridges) obtained by converting neutral borosilicate glass tubes (300,000 tons in 2019 growing rapidly at 10-20% p.a.). This has been driven recently by the world’s quest to deliver a vaccine to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Glass is still a unique commodity in today’s materials market. Used every day by billions of people, glass containers present countless advantages for both consumers and the environment. Being 100% recyclable, glass can be melted and reformed an infinite number of times (Chapter 8). Glass for windows Early glass makers were unable to produce a flat glass product suitable for glazing and the first evidence for its availability is from early Roman times. Although glazing allows light to enter while keeping bad weather at bay, it is a weak point under attack and so needs a stable society. Until the end of the Middle-ages glazing was a luxury and panes were small. By this period two early methods used by Roman Glass Makers were becoming popular —crown Figure 2.4. Early production of large glass sheets. Source: Diderot and D’Alambert Encyclopedia .