«Glass Cycle» Discussed at the Russian Economic Forum

Dear colleagues, we are publishing news about the member of the Association "StekloSouz" of Russia, "Siberian Glass" LLC (Sibsteklo):

At the panel session "Glass Cycle: From Collection to Recycling", organized by Siberian Glass LLC (Sibsteklo) together with the Russian Ecological Operator on the sidelines of the Russian Ecological Forum - 2024, industry experts discussed the reform of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) institute, the development of MSW sorting infrastructure and the glass waste market.

According to Alexey Savin, Chairman of the Ecology Committee of the National United Council of Glass Industry Enterprises "StekloSouz", according to the standard established within the EPR, in 2024, a total of 1.1 million tons of glass packaging waste is subject to recycling at glass container plants in the Russian Federation, but in fact, such a quantity of recyclable materials is not in circulation. The reason is the lack of a system that creates sustainable flows of glass waste. Thus, most enterprises will pay an environmental fee and, accordingly, may increase the cost of their products, which will be perceived by consumers "rather painfully".

According to Gusen Ibragimov, Deputy Head of the Extended Producer Responsibility Department at REO, the essence of EPR is not in the eco-tax, but in the maximum involvement of waste in economic circulation.

- The Decree on National Goals defines a twofold reduction in the volume of their disposal at MSW landfills by 2030, - he recalled. - We are striving to create an ideal MSW management scheme, launching the chain "collection - sorting - extraction of useful fractions - transportation". REO has concluded 65 concession agreements involving the construction of waste sorting complexes, which takes time.

According to Anton Mor, General Director of Sibsteklo, today there is no need to talk about the availability of infrastructure for separate collection of MSW, as a result, the quality of broken glass arriving at the site from landfills does not meet the requirements for secondary raw materials. – But even in the absence of conditions, the law must be followed – largely due to the development of processing capacities, about 50 thousand tons of glass waste were recycled at the plant in the first nine months of 2024, by the end of the year this figure will grow to 65 thousand tons, and next year to 120 thousand, – said Anton Mor.

The glassmakers’ plans to increase the share of broken glass in the composition of components for glass production are again connected with the EPR, which stimulates the search for new opportunities to reduce the deficit of secondary resources.

– Discarded glass containers are brought to the waste treatment plant as part of mixed waste, as a rule, crushed in the press chambers of garbage trucks into dangerous fragments, and therefore, whole bottles are mainly selected on the sorting lines, – explains Alexander Martynov, Director of Chistaya Strana LLC. – As a result, a significant part of container glass is not recycled. A technology has been developed for extracting it from compost using aerial and photo separation, which will allow 800 thousand tons of glass waste to be returned to the production cycle in the current situation.

Elena Shulepova, head of the permanent representative office of the executive committee of the Interregional Association "Siberian Agreement" in Moscow, spoke about the return of secondary glass from remote areas of the Siberian Federal District, including those included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation:

- The costs of delivering broken glass to the disposal site will fall into the tariff, which is unaffordable for residents. Governors are interested in solving the transportation issue, but without government subsidies, the regions will not cope. And they are ready for a dialogue with businesses.

The urgency of the problem of removing glass waste was confirmed by Pavel Arbatsky, Deputy Chairman of the Federal Project "Clean Country" of the United Russia party in the Novosibirsk Region.

- Drinks in bottles from "Sibsteklo" are presented on store shelves in the Khabarovsk Territory, Primorye, Sakhalin, - Pavel Arbatsky gave an example. - It is difficult to collect containers that have served their time: the purchase price is low, the logistics arm is long, of course, support from the authorities is needed.

The moderator of the panel session, executive director of the fund for nature protection and environmental protection "Green Standard" Irina Baibarovich noted that the participants of the discussion agreed on the level of environmental awareness of citizens: the culture of waste management is developing and the process will go faster if containers are placed near each apartment building for the selective collection of MSW, using them for their intended purpose.

- For some reason, when discussing environmental education, first of all, we go to save the future generation - to kindergartens, schools, universities, but we forget about ourselves, our habits. It is necessary to promote the correct attitude to MSW among all age categories, - emphasized Artem Zemlyannikov, member of the Council for the Development of the Circular Economy and Ecology of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, director of the company "Ekorex". - And in order for the glass cycle to close, comprehensive measures are needed, because it is paradoxical when the subjects of the ROP, who are obliged to dispose of glass waste, are forced to run after it.

LLC "Siberian Glass" is a leading manufacturer of glass containers and the largest glass waste recycler in Siberia and the Far East, a partner of national projects of Russia. OOO Chistaya Strana is engaged in the formation of a comprehensive infrastructure for the collection, processing and transportation of glass waste, including on the basis of eco-industrial parks in the regions of the Russian Federation. Both companies are part of RATM Holding.

Photo: PPK REO.