AGC Glass Europe

Fig. 13. Sources of the water used in our plants.

Fig. 14. Water consumption. Index 1998 = 100 on comparable basis.

The total consumption of water within the Group was about 7 million m³ in 2010. The water used for industrial purposes is mostly surface water. The amount of drinking water used is very limited, being restricted to domestic use or cases where no other source is available (see Fig. 13).
 

Over 90% of the water is used for cooling purposes and does not come in contact with the products. The cooling systems operate in a closed loop to minimise water use.

Over the past ten years, on a comparable basis we managed to reduce the water consumption by 56% (see Fig. 14). This was achieved by our plants thanks to specific action plans to reduce consumption, together with strong programmes to track leakages. And, at the same time, the pollution in this waste water also decreased by nearly 52%!

In some cases specific pollution of the industrial waste water can occur. For instance in production of mirrors, glass etching or enamelling, emission of products such as metals, acids, pigments, etc. can take place. Although these plants are equipped with waste water treatment installations, primary measures to avoid end-of-pipe treatment are preferred. For instance, limiting and replacing toxic substances used in production of Mirror New Generation Ecological has resulted in a 95% reduction in water pollution.