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Glass Industry Profile

The glass industry is a mature, capital- and energy-intensive industry that relies on abundant and durable raw materials. Glass, a compound of many elements (principally sand, limestone, and soda ash), possesses unique characteristics that give it a clear advantage over other materials:

• One hundred percent recyclability
• Versatile manufacturing properties
• Exceptional chemical durability
• Multi-faceted optical properties
• Diverse, unique applications

The glass industry has evolved into four distinct segments:

• Glass containers, such as bottles and jars
• Fiberglass for insulation and structural applications
• Flat glass, used largely for windows, auto windshields, mirrors, and tabletops
• Specialty glass, such as tableware, light bulbs, television tubes, fiber optics, and scientific and medical equipment

In 2004, the U.S. glass industry directly employed 121,000 people in the United States. Over 80% of these employees are production workers who earn an average of $17.46 per hour. The industry shipped approximately $28 billion in product, and spent nearly $2 billion on new capital equipment. In addition, the industry spent about $2 billion on fuels and energy, representing more than 7% of the value of shipments.

The glass industry includes both major corporations and small businesses that are spread across the nation. Facilities are concentrated in Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, North Carolina, Texas, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin.

The glass industry uses in excess of 250 trillion Btu annually to produce approximately 20 million tons of glass products. About 80% of this energy is supplied by natural gas, with electricity accounting for the majority of the remaining energy used.