Visy, Australia’s largest integrated recycler and remanufacturer, has hit a new high – achieving an average of 63% recycled glass in its packaging across Australia and New Zealand (this financial year to date). The achievement represents a 5% increase compared to the 2023 financial year.
The figure is higher for recycled coloured glass (amber and green) at 75%, on average, across Visy’s operations this financial year to date.
More recycled glass means less landfill and less energy use, says Visy General Manager of Sustainability Kate Baker.
“A Visy glass container with 70% recycled content uses up to 30% less energy to make than a container with no recycled content.”
“We are working with our customers to continually increase the amount of recycled glass we use in our packaging”, says Visy Glass General Manager Paul Vine.
“We’re getting up to 90% recycled glass into some of our green and amber bottles, creating a more sustainable product, keeping glass out of landfill and reducing our reliance on virgin material.
“Thanks to investments like Visy’s $50 million upgrade at Laverton glass recycling, we’re getting close to our target of an average of 70% recycled glass in our bottles and jars across Australia and New Zealand.”
Investments underway in NSW and Queensland, including a $500m glass recycling and manufacturing facility in Yatala south of Brisbane, will see Visy further increase the recycled content in glass containers over coming years.
Visy’s $50 million upgrade at Laverton glass recycling has doubled its capacity to 200,000 tonnes a year so that it can recycle all of Victoria’s recyclable glass.
A new $500 million glass recycling and remanufacturing factory is being built in Yatala, just south of Brisbane. The facility will recycle up to 200,000 tonnes of glass annually to produce one billion bottles and jars a year.
