An industrial ecology of the US glass industry

The US glass industry produces a wide variety of products for industrial and end use purposes. Towards that end, large amounts of raw materials are extracted and used, energy is degraded and pollutants are generated and released into the environment. The industry has long recognized its influence on material cycles and energy flows through the economy-environment system. It is now in the process of adopting a systems perspective to tackle the problems associated with its material and energy use. To operationalize that systems perspective a dynamic computer model of the container, flat and fiberglass sectors of the industry is developed on the basis of time series data, engineering information and insights from industry experts. The model includes the extraction stage of the main raw materials, transportation of raw materials and discarded products — both back to producers and to ladfills — and the various manufacturing processes of the desired products. On the basis of the model, material and energy use and CO2 emissions profiles for the years 1988–2028 are quantified under a variety of scenarios on production rates, technology change and recycling.