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Vidrala champions circular economy by reusing biomass waste in innovative, sustainable production of glass bottles in Spain
Vidrala, a leading company in the design and manufacture of sustainable glass containers, has undertaken an innovative pilot project in Spain in collaboration with Acciona Energía, focused on the reuse of biomass slag in the production process of 18.3 million glass bottles.
The pilot used 230 tonnes of biomass slag generated during the combustion of biomass at Acciona’s renewable electricity generation plant in Briviesca, Burgos. The waste generated from the burning of biomass is known as ‘slag’.
This material contains a high percentage of silica, a key component in glass manufacturing. Its reuse has significantly reduced the need for silica sand and replaced part of the sodium carbonate, optimising the production process and reducing the environmental footprint.
Following a research and testing process for slag treatment, the process has been successfully adapted, meeting all the strength and durability requirements characteristic of glass bottles produced through the usual process. The slag treatment was carried out in Asturias, while the bottles were manufactured at the Aiala Vidrio plant in Llodio in northern Spain.