Why remove scratches from glass rather than replace it?
Global demand for flat glass is approximately 45 million tonnes per year, of which 50% is supplied by Asia, 27% by Europe and 15% by North America. Of this total, 70% is used in construction, 20% for interior design and decoration, and 10% for the automotive and transport industries.
As a company, we see it as our social responsibility to apply sophisticated techniques so that the production of flat glass can be reduced. Removing scratches and repairing glass damage instead of replacing the glass protects the environment by reducing the use of raw materials and the amount of glass waste sent to landfill. The process of producing glass from sand and soda ash consumes a great deal of energy and involves the emission of flue gases such as CO2. By limiting this to some extent, we too contribute to protecting the environment and offer a green alternative to replacement.
CO2 emissions from glass production are (according to VROM Protocol 9064 2009):
- 0.18 kg CO2 per kg of glass (0.45 kg CO2 per m² per mm thickness)
Including transport of raw materials and the finished product:
- 0.5 kg CO2 per kg of glass (1.25 kg CO2 per m² per mm thickness)
(The weight of glass is 2.5 kg/m² per mm thickness)
By way of comparison, the average CO₂ emissions of a passenger car are 0.13 kg per kilometre driven.