Saint-Gobain Glass has announced that the world’s first lower-carbon glass, ORAÉ®, is now being manufactured in the UK at its site in Eggborough, Yorkshire. Previously produced at other Saint-Gobain sites in Europe, this development marks a significant milestone in the company’s mission to drive down the carbon footprint of UK glass manufacturing while maintaining product quality, aesthetics and performance.
ORAÉ® is manufactured using a minimum of 64% recycled glass content (cullet) and offers a 42% lower carbon footprint than the company’s standard clear float glass.
A key enabler of ORAÉ®’s sustainability credentials is Saint-Gobain’s ‘Glass Forever’ programme. This initiative facilitates the collection and recycling of large quantities of pre-consumer and post-consumer glass, transforming old glazing into high-quality new products. By embracing circular economy principles, Saint-Gobain ensures that glass remains infinitely recyclable, reducing waste and resource consumption.
The use of renewable electricity in production further minimises its environmental impact. Also, Saint-Gobain’s investment in a new state-of-the-art furnace in 2021 enhances efficiency and sustainability in glass manufacturing.
Mike Butterick, Marketing Director at Saint-Gobain Glass said: “Bringing ORAÉ® production to the UK is a significant step forward in our sustainability journey. This milestone underscores our commitment to reducing carbon emissions while delivering high-performance glazing solutions that meet the demands of the construction industry. We are proud to offer a product that aligns with our vision for a greener future. We are also grateful to our customers and partners who are helping us to recycle enough glass to produce ORAÉ®, and have embraced the circular economy that Glass Forever has inspired.”
Alongside its eco-friendly credentials, ORAÉ® maintains the same aesthetics, quality, and performance as our standard products, delivering outstanding solar control, thermal insulation, and energy efficiency benefits.
ORAÉ® is backed by an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), a third-party-verified document that communicates the product’s environmental impact over its lifecycle. Saint-Gobain Glass has been a pioneer in EPD transparency for over a decade, supporting customers in selecting the best-performing, lowest-carbon glazing solutions.
ORAÉ® is now available in a variety of sizes and product combinations including low-emissivity coated glass products, offering fabricators, installers, architects, and specifiers a sustainable alternative without compromise. By bringing production to the UK, Saint-Gobain Glass reaffirms its commitment to innovation, carbon reduction, and the advancement of sustainable construction.
Buildings account for 39%(1) of global greenhouse gas emissions, and by 2050, half of new buildings’ emissions could stem from embodied carbon(2). Saint-Gobain Glass is taking decisive action to address this challenge by developing solutions such as ORAÉ® that support a sustainable built environment.
(1) Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, Global Status Reports 2017
(2) Architecture 2030, Why the Building Sector?, 2019
