Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, dean of the Inamori School of Engineering, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, delivered the plenary lecture during the opening day of the Society of Glass Technology (SGT) 2025 annual conference.
Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, dean of the Inamori School of Engineering, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, delivered the plenary lecture during the opening day of the Society of Glass Technology (SGT) 2025 annual conference.
The conference was held Sept. 1-3 at Murray Edwards College in Cambridge, England. On Monday, Sept. 1, Gaustad delivered the NL Varshneya Memorial Lecture on Sustainability in Glass, titled “Sustainability opportunities for end-of-life glass in the U.S.” She discussed the economic challenges faced by the recycling industry, particularly as they related to the reuse of glass.
“Most collection (of recyclable materials) has turned to single stream to reduce costs and transportation distances; this creates a glass product from municipal solid waste that is highly contaminated or has significant costs to separate and purify. Glass, theoretically, is completely recyclable but while 12 million tons of glass are produced each year in the United States, experts estimate that less than 25 percent is recycled,” the abstract of Gaustad’s lecture states.
SGT 2025 Conference Program and Abstracts
Gaustad’s presentation highlighted work being done at Alfred University, through a partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which explores the potential for improving reuse and recycling rates of glass in the United States. The state has provided more than $4 million in funding Alfred University’s Center for Glass Innovation, supporting Alfred University research into sustainable use of glass.
Research being done at the Center for Glass Innovation explores both technologies for improving quality and identifying sinks for lower quality recycled glasses. This includes use in a wide range of sinks, such as agricultural applications, healthcare, cement and concrete production including novel 3D printing approaches, and asphalt and road base.
