Ardagh Glass Packaging (AGP), part of Ardagh Group, will celebrate the United Nations International Year of Glass throughout 2022, commemorating the essential role of glass packaging in a sustainable society. The International Commission on Glass (ICG), the Community of Glass Associations (CGA) and ICOM-Glass are promoting 2022 as the United Nations International Year of Glass (IYOG) to underline the scientific, economic and cultural importance of glass in all its forms in our everyday lives.
The year-long celebration will result in a range of events across the world, including fairs and exhibitions, seminars and social media campaigns, to inform and educate communities everywhere of the rich history that glass has and its enormous beneficial contributions in areas such as sustainability, health, culture and art to name a few. AGP are looking forward to supporting some of the events taking place in our own regions in recognition of this significant milestone for our industry. These include the National Day of Glass from April 5 - 7 at the Madison in Washington DC and the Glasstec Exhibition from September 20 - 23 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The very first glass bottles and jars were made in Egypt more than 2000 years ago. Today, glass packaging is made from 100% natural and sustainable raw materials: recycled glass, limestone, soda ash and silica sand.
Glass is sustainable and infinitely recyclable, making it the perfect material for a circular economy. Additionally, glass is the only widely-used food packaging granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) status of 'GRAS,' or Generally Regarded As Safe - the highest standard.
AGP has a long and proud history of glassmaking dating back more than 300 years. All of AGP's glass bottles and jars contain recycled glass (cullet), and, in Europe, AGP uses up to 90% recycled content in the manufacturing process. Mike Dick, Chief Commercial Officer for Ardagh Group comments: 'AGP is a leading supplier of sustainable, infinitely recyclable glass packaging, that plays a key role in the circular economy. In this IYOG, AGP is focused on product and process innovations, as well as working on breakthrough projects which will help to achieve our 2030 sustainability targets outlined in Ardagh Group's latest Sustainability Report.'
These targets include zero waste to landfill, a 26% reduction in water usage, a 23% reduction in NOx emissions, a transition to 100% renewable electricity and maximising the use of recycled glass in our furnaces. We are also committed to delivering CO2 reduction through a continued focus on developing lower carbon glass packaging via both new and existing technologies.
Eight facilities across AGP are already using renewable electricity: Limmared, Sweden, Barnsley, Doncaster, Irvine and Knottingley in the U.K. and Bridgeton, New Jersey; Burlington, Wisconsin; and Madera, California in the United States. To support AGP's emissions reduction strategy, major off-site renewable energy projects are under development in three European facilities: one in Germany and two in the UK.
Aligned with these sustainability targets, AGP - North America (NA) has diverted waste from landfill at its Burlington, Wisconsin and Ruston, Louisiana facilities by diverting 100% of their non-hazardous oily debris from landfill and converting it for energy recovery and alternative use. In the future, this same methodology will be implemented at additional facilities throughout AGP - NA.
Encore's 2021 Christmas Party
Despite the many challenges encountered with the pandemic, Encore's team continued to dive headfirst into meeting customers' needs, making 2021 a year full of successes. Our team was eager to gather for the first time in a while and celebrate the achievements of the last year at Encore's Christmas party. Hosted at The L in downtown Greenville, the 'Holidays at the Lodge' party theme allowed employees to celebrate with the comfort, homey, and welcoming feel that the holiday season brings. The team indulged in a delicious southern-style buffet, laughed around the photo booth with silly props, got down on the dance floor, and toasted to the incredible accomplishments made throughout the year. Several Encore partners joined in on the fun and sponsored door prizes raffled off at the event. A big thank you to Promethean, Cisco, ScanSource, and Synnex for gifting the amazing prizes - from Amazon Echo dots to a 55' TV and soundbar.
Encore Excellence Awards
Each year, Encore has the pleasure of presenting the Encore Excellence Award to a select group of employees who exemplified admirable performance, strong work ethic, consistent positive attitude, solid collaboration skills, and a high level of professionalism. Encore is extremely proud to recognize the four 2021 recipients and their great work:
Brian Allison - Systems Engineer
Chandler Holmes - Lead Technician
Paul King - Solutions Consultant
Ciara Marshall - Digital Media & Marketing Specialist
We thank each of these individuals for their fantastic work and honor their achievements.
Loaves & Fishes 'Feed the Thousands' Holiday Food Drive
Encore also had the opportunity to donate to a local charity, Loaves & Fishes, in their annual 'Feed the Thousands' holiday food drive. Employees contributed canned goods and cash donations to help serve local Greenville families and reduce hunger over the holiday season.
Contact:
Email: info@encoretg.com
Phone: 888-983-6267
ARDAGH GROUP S.A. 