How glasstec exhibitors are driving forward recycling, material recovery and raw material efficiency

At glasstec 2026 circularity is one of the key three Hot Topics. Exhibitors will show how glass products are developed to be more suitable for recycling, how insulation glass units are separated automatically and how new sources of cullet can be leveraged for production.

Glass is considered the ideal material for the circular economy: theoretically, it can be recycled indefinitely without losing its material properties. In practice, though, only part of the waste glass from buildings and processing is reused.

At the same time, the requirements made on the industry are rising. EU regulations, climate targets and an increasingly circularity-oriented construction industry add to the pressure to make recycling processes more efficient and industrially scalable.

From intelligent cutting management on the machine to the reintroduction of offcuts into the production cycle: Biesse explains how glass waste can be reduced and resources be used for longer.

„The Intermac Multi Pro M V0X scrap management system is designed to ensure maximum efficiency, safety and continuity during glass processing.

Depending on the size and position of the scrap, the system can automatically reposition the piece, evacuate it after milling, or prompt operator intervention when necessary. The cycle is optimised to reduce idle times and ensure continuous workflow, even when dealing with shaped or irregular scraps.

At glasstec 2026 we'll showaces how this advanced solution minimizes downtime, optimises production flow, and maintains high-quality standards across all operations.“

Valerio Cavallini, Product Manager Glass, Biesse

„A key strategy for improving glass resource efficiency lies in maximizing the reuse of production remnants. Following the optimisation and cutting of glass sheets, any residual material is automatically recovered and returned to the warehouse inventory, where it remains available for future cutting plans. By reintegrating offcuts into subsequent production cycles, manufacturers can significantly reduce waste generation, optimise raw material utilisation, and extend the value of glass resources before recycling is required. This approach supports both economic efficiency and circular manufacturing principles.“

Valerio Cavallini, Product Manager Glass, Biesse

The German Flat Glass Association (Bundesverband Flachglas e. V.) sets out what is required for a genuine circular economy for glass, highlighting areas where the industry is still developing solutions:

"In order to achieve a truly circular economy, we need to maintain the quality of glass within the material cycle for as long as possible. Alongside traditional recycling, there is an increasing focus on reuse and reprocessing. This requires careful planning from the outset, separate collection, appropriate testing procedures, and a clear legal framework.

Circularity begins right from the start, in the planning, design, documentation and deconstruction. However, a key challenge arises with regard to insulating glass: modern assemblies are typically permanently bonded, making them unsuitable for single-material separation, reuse or high-quality recycling from a design perspective. Encouragingly, the industry has recognised this challenge and is already working on new approaches. It is crucial to have transparent information on the glass structure and designs that are easy to dismantle. It is also important to consider the future removal of the structure from the outset.“

Jochen Grönegräs, Managing Director, Bundesverband Flachglas e. V. 

Filtraglass draws attention to a frequently overlooked material flow, demonstrating how process water and glass residues can be returned to the cycle together: 

„At Filtraglass, we focus on technologies that separate glass particles from process water and transform them into a dry, solid and manageable residue that can be reused in other industrial applications. By improving material separation and reducing contamination, these systems contribute to more efficient recycling processes and support a more circular approach to glass production. Recovering both water and valuable materials helps reduce waste while improving overall process sustainability.

Our solutions are designed around closed-loop water systems that allow process water to be continuously treated and reused within the production cycle, significantly reducing fresh water consumption. At the same time, separated glass waste can be recovered and reused as a secondary raw material instead of being discarded. In this way, glass processors can reduce waste generation, improve operational efficiency and support a more sustainable and circular production model.“

Alberto Medina, Commercial Director, Filtraglass  

LiSEC shows at glasstec how IGUs can be selectively reclaimed across various automation stages:

“LiSEC will exhibit solutions for the manual and automated separation of insulation glass units, which make a key contribution to glass reuse. As an entry solution IGDA Manual is used, the launch of IGD-B Manual is planned by the start of the trade fair.

Building on this we will introduce IGDA/robot for automatic separation, which is still in the conceptual stage. These solutions address the reuse and recycling of glass along various automation stages and form the basis for more efficient and high-quality recycling processes.

With the IGDA Manual hand-held device LiSEC presents a hands-on solution for skilled crafts operations to efficiently separate small amounts of waste insulation glass. The tool is suited for repairing defective units or soiled panes allowing IGUs to be separated and newly mounted subsequently.

This way glass can be recovered rather than disposed of, rendering completely new production superfluous. This reduces material waste, saves resources and supports a more sustainable handling of glass in the day-to-day work of craftspeople.”

Markus Jandl, Director Product Management, LiSEC

The NSG Group banks on industry-wide system solutions with its global initiative renew:glass:

“Centrestage in this approach is the initiative renew:glass that is oriented towards boosting the recycling of architectural glass and strengthening the circular economy along the entire value chain. Rolled out globally, the programme promotes awareness, education and best practices to reclaim glass production waste and waste glazing and to reintroduce them into float glass production. The environmental impact is substantial: the recycling of waste flat glass brings down the energy demand of melting tanks, prevents the mining of primary raw materials and can save up to around 700 kg CO₂ per ton of recycled glass.”

Kristian Chalmers, Global Strategic Commercial Manager, Architectural Glass Europe, NSG Group

Saint-Gobain pursues a holistic approach – from dismantling glass façades to producing new ones with a high proportion of recyclates:

“To maintain the circularity of glass as long as possible, we pursue a holistic approach – from planning to dismantling to reuse. A crucial component in this is our dismantling concept for glass façades in Germany, which is designed to recover flat glass from the building stock in the most clean-grade and quality-saving way.

In addition, we closely cooperate with specialised recycling partners in Germany. These partnerships decisively contribute to improving reclamation quality and make it possible to tap into new cullet qualities for use in the float glass process. The result is a more efficient recycling process with a higher percentage of flat glass and a consistent, high product quality for the newly produced glass.

With ORAÉ® we offer a CO₂-reduced glass that makes a key contribution to circular and sustainable building. ORAÉ® is produced with an especially high percentage of recycled glass thereby substantially reducing the demand for primary raw materials as well as cutting CO₂ emissions in production. ORAÉ® succeeds in reducing CO₂ emissions by 42% compared to our European standard product.

Beyond this, ORAÉ® is also supplied with coatings for solar protection and thermal insulation. This combination not only brings an improved eco-balance of the construction material proper but simultaneously also reduces the operating costs of buildings through higher energy efficiency over their complete lifecycle. ORAÉ® offers certified performance – both in accordance with the EPD and the Cradle to Cradle product standard (C2C-Version 4.0).”

Moritz Feid, Head of Circular Economy, Saint Gobain

Zippe Industrieanlagen flags up alternatives for raw material supply – especially where classic cullet is scarce:

“‘Sustainable recycling relies on the availability of raw materials. However, as these are difficult to source, we offer alternatives. For example, recyclable materials can be separated from mixed raw materials, and recovered glass can be reused. Another option is processing glass sand, which is produced by recycling companies. Solar panels are also a key issue at present – this material is widely available and set to increase in volume.”

Markus Werner, Sales Engineer Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH, Zippe Industrieanlagen GmbH

The exhibitors’ statements show that circularity in the glass industry is not achieved by isolated measures but by their interplay along the entire value chain – from recycling-ready product design to dismantling and separation technologies to recycling and returning into production.

It becomes clear that industrial circularity systems emerge primarily where processes are scalable, material flows controllable and partnerships are established along the supply chain. At the same time, the sector is tapping into new raw material sources – such as mixed recyclates or waste solar modules.