UK pilot trials upcycle post-consumer glass

2025-09-30 08:50:06

A pilot project in the UK has shown that waste flat glass can be upcycled into new craft products with reduced emissions.

Ian Hankey, Principal Technician at Arts University Plymouth’s Fab Lab South West, has led pilot trials that turn end of life window glass into new artisanal work.

The trials took place at Brimpts Farm in Dartmoor, England, UK.

The method uses ash from the farm’s biomass system, as well as other bio waste.

Mr Hankey designed and built the specialised small-scale equipment to produce the first test pieces on site, thanks to a successful Crowdfunder campaign that raised over £10,000.

He said: “These pilot tests indicate that locally sourced bio ash can act as an effective flux for end-of-life window glass.

“By lowering furnace operating temperatures by around 500°C, and using waste stream materials as colourants and modifiers, we’ve produced the first examples of viable glass upcycling, demonstrating a blueprint for the small-scale circular production of glass, in this case on a working farm.”

Waste window and building glass is a global problem because it is difficult to recycle for use as new panes.

In Europe, only a small fraction of this flat glass is remade into new flat products, with most either downcycled into lower grade uses or sent to landfill.

In proving that waste flat glass can be upcycled into new craft products with reduced emissions, Mr Hankey has shown that sustainable solutions can be both locally rooted and globally relevant.

Process

The Upcycled Glass Company was established in 2021 by Mr Hankey.

The pilot process forms part its model for sustainable craft production.

Waste inputs such as post-consumer flat glass, surplus coloured glass from local studio Teign Valley Glass, and plant ash from the farm’s biomass system were combined in small furnaces to produce refined cullet and finished artisanal works.

Future phases will explore low-carbon energy from on-farm anaerobic digestion and compact CO₂ capture-and-reuse units, extending the closed loop approach.

Mr Hankey has already trialled compact CO2 capture for microbreweries in collaboration with Barnaby’s Brewhouse, supported through the Impact Lab with Arts University Plymouth.

Adapting this technology for furnaces could further enhance sustainability.

Dr Sarah Fearn, Research Facility Manager at Imperial College London, is analysing the first test pieces to assess their material composition and structural stability, informing the durability and further development of the technique.