Driving a circular economy of glass: a strategic collaboration between Saint-Gobain Glass and Eckersley O’Callaghan

In the face of the climate emergency, rising energy costs, and depletion of natural resources, it is crucial that key construction products are re-evaluated and good practice is made standard.

Today, Saint-Gobain Glass and Eckersley O’Callaghan announce a strategic collaboration to support a circular economy of architectural glass, with the aim of increasing the volume of post-consumer glass being recycled into new float glass. Both companies have dedicated teams committed to tackling the challenges relating to the circular economy in construction, particularly within the commercial sector.

For over two decades, Saint-Gobain Glass UK has been a leader in promoting responsible glass cullet recovery by working closely with glass processors to implement efficient recycling methods. This commitment to a circular economy is exemplified by Glass Forever, an innovative end-of-life glass recovery scheme that retrieves post-consumer glass from old windows, preventing it from ending up in landfills. These efforts are driven by its specialized facility in Eggborough, UK, reinforcing the company’s dedication to sustainable glass production.

Eckersley O’Callaghan has extensive experience in circularity and design for adaptation, preparing reuse and refurbishment audits for renovation projects, and enabling creative reuse of reclaimed materials in new facades. This hands-on experience has resulted in award-winning projects incorporating circular reuse of facade materials, bringing carbon benefits and demonstrating stewardship of scarce resources.

As a joint initiative the companies believe their efforts will promote best practice and enable property investors and developers to reduce embodied carbon emissions and realise the full potential of material recovery in their projects, supporting them with their expertise.