Every windowpane a second life (Reused insulation glass)
How to upgrade and reuse old insulation glass (post-consumer IGUs)
ProjectOld insulation glass often ends up in relatively low-value applications such as glass wool or packaging materials. That's a shame, considering how much energy it takes to produce glass. In the Reused Insulation Glass project, researchers and students from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), together with SME-companies, have developed strategies for reusing old insulation glass. With the insights gained, the construction industry is taking new steps towards circularity.
Every year in the Netherlands, more than 90 million kilos of flat glass are removed from buildings, mainly to improve insulation or due to demolition. This glass is largely recycled into glass granules for glass wool and packaging materials. Although recycling is a step in the right direction, the process consumes a lot of energy, and valuable material (flat glass) is lost. Moreover, suppliers of insulation glass must continue to purchase new flat glass.
A circular solution
Reusing insulation glass in new HR++ glass is a much more circular solution and has significant environmental benefits. First, flat glass production is an energy-intensive process with high CO2 emissions. In addition, suitable sand, a crucial ingredient, is becoming increasingly scarce, and there is a growing import of glass from ever greater distances (resulting in extra transport emissions).
As part of the ambition to be fully circular by 2050, real estate clients increasingly demand the use of recycled materials in construction projects. Recycled insulation glass is a critical step toward a fully circular construction sector. This research project has demonstrated that reusing insulation glass is possible and how it can be done effectively.
Opgrading old insulation glass
The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences has established a consortium of experts from the entire construction sector, including glass processing companies, consulting firms, demolition companies, contractors, and building owners. Together, they have developed strategies to upgrade old insulation glass to the quality of new HR++ glass and to reuse flat glass after dismantling.
In addition, a method was developed to determine whether it is technically better to reuse the entire insulation glass unit or to reuse both glass panes separately after dismantling. In most cases, dismantling proved to be more practical due to the age of the glass and/or the reduced argon concentration in the cavity (and therefore the insulating quality of the glass).
Circular construction economy
Several partners have now commercially implemented the reuse strategies. The results have been widely shared through publications and seminars. At the final seminar, about 130 interested companies learned how to integrate insulation glass reuse into their operations, contributing to a circular construction economy!
Circulair Building
Reused insulating glass is part of the Circular Building group's research on extending the life of building materials. This group is also conducting research on biobased building materials.
Read more
- In situ detection of product age and argon concentration as measure of the re-use potential of insulating glass units in buildings – GPD 2023 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40940-023-00225-0
- Upgrade principles for reuse of IGUs (2022)
J.I.A. Tetteroo
Go to detailpage
