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Virtual trials on new coatings to significantly reduce the weight of glass bottles to start in
Virtual trials reduce the risks and timescales of the development and testing process for glass strengthening and lightweighting
Reducing the weight of glass bottles reduces the raw materials and energy used in the glass melting process and reduces emissions in manufacture and transportation
If successful, significant lightweighting could be transformational for the glass industry on its journey to net zero carbon emissions
The virtual trial will pioneer science-based sustainable innovations to reduce the time and cost needed to test glass products, whilst also reducing the raw materials and energy used in the process. A virtual twin is a real-time digital representation of a product or process that is used to model, visualize and predict new innovations before any physical trials take place. The trial will research and develop a new external coating for the glass bottle to reduce the micro-cracks in the glass surface, which will allow the glass to be much lighter whilst maintaining its strength. The lightweight glass bottle will maintain its 100% recyclability and if successful in the virtual trial, will undergo glass bottle testing from summer 2022.
Glass lightweighting is one of the solutions for reducing the glass sector's CO2 impact and carbon emissions will be reduced in both the manufacturing of the bottle and transportation of the finished goods. Should this collaboration project be successful, it will be a major breakthrough for virtual twin technology in supporting the sustainability ambitions of the glass industry and enabling the decarbonisation of the sector as a whole.
'There is a growing urgency to change our ways of production and consumption. We need to rethink everything, and dare to imagine the boldest sustainability initiatives,' said Florence Verzelen, Executive Vice President, Industry, Marketing & Sustainability,
'At Diageo, sustainability and particularly sustainable packaging is a key priority. We're excited to be part of this pioneering trial that embraces the principles of our Diageo Sustainable Solutions platform which encourages innovation and collaboration in developing scientific solutions to the impact of climate change. We've made a commitment in our Society 2030 strategy to have net zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2050 or earlier and should this trial be successful, it's a great step towards us achieving that,' said
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