NEWS | Industry Updates


Ireland leads the way in single use cup levy


As with the introduction of a charge for carrier bags – Ireland now seems set to become the first nation to introduce the single cup levy. A recent consultation closed on Friday 25 November. The Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) has argued for


exemption of vending and automated retail for a variety of reasons, including: • Nearly 70% of all vending (and tabletop) hot beverage machines


are free vend and have no way of charging a consumer for a cup at point of dispense.


• The RIA studied impact on retail at €2 or more. The average vended price of a hot drinks is 46c therefore a 20c levy would be an unfair imposition in vending.


• As a result of previous lobbying work by the AVA and the EVA, vending is already considered a ‘special case’.


Hydrogen powered furnace to change the face of UK glass manufacturing industry


Encirc, a specialist glass manufacturer and co-packer, and Diageo, global specialist in premium alcoholic drinks, have announced their partnership to create the world’s first Net Zero glass bottles at scale by 2030. Encirc, a Vidrala company, plans to build a new furnace at its Elton plant, Cheshire, which will change the face of glass. The furnace will: • Reduce carbon emissions by 90%, with an energy mix of green electricity and low carbon hydrogen. It is expected that carbon capture technology will capture the remaining carbon emissions by 2030


• Be powered by zero carbon electricity and hydrogen, from the Vertex (HyNet)plant in Cheshire


• Be fully operational by 2027 • Produce up to 200 million Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Gordon’s and Tanqueray bottles annually by 2030


6 | vendinginternational-online.com Encirc is already a specialist in sustainable


glass production and future-proofing the future of glass. In 2021, Encirc, in collaboration with glass industry partners Glass Futures, trialled one of its furnaces in its Northern Ireland plant on sustainable biofuels on many brands including Diageo’s Black & White bottles, using 100% recycled glass to create the most sustainable bottles ever produced. The bottles had a carbon footprint of up to 90% lower than a standard glass bottle. Decarbonising glass packaging will


be a key part of the UK government’s commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050 and this is an example of UK leading companies partnering to be innovative in using green energy to manufacture at scale. The hydrogen used to power the new furnace will come from Vertex Hydrogen, a partner of the government-backed HyNet North


West cluster – the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation project. Adrian Curry, managing director of Encirc


said: “This will be a major step in our goal of producing Net Zero glass by 2030. With support from the Government and key partners, we believe it will be possible to have this first of its kind furnace up and running at the beginning of 2027. “Glass is an incredible material being infinitely recyclable and chemically inert. It has been around since 3500 BC and has never been produced in this way. This is about protecting glass as a material by addressing the carbon challenge. The work we and Glass Futures undertake will be shared with the UK glass industry to ensure glass remains as the packing of choice for many thousands more years!”


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