Circularity Frontiers: Glass innovation sprint

What are the current boundaries in glass circularity—and how can we push them further? Join our hackathon-style event and develop new ideas for the circular future of glass.

About the sprint

The Glass innovation sprint on Glass is a full day, online event for students, young researchers, and industry professionals who enjoy thinking and solving problems together.

The material at the centre of it all is glass. It is indispensable in everyday life and often described as infinitely recyclable without loss of quality. In theory, this is true. In practice, recycling rates differ widely between sectors. While container glass performs well in Europe, other areas such as flat glass still struggle to close the loop. These gaps make glass a perfect playground for circular innovation.

At the sprint, circularity is not treated as a buzzword or a lecture topic. Instead, it becomes something you actively explore. Participants work together on creative and innovative ways to use glass more efficiently and to close material loops that are still far from complete.

Some topics that we will focus on inlude:

Cradle-to-cradle design of glass products
Additive manufacturing with glass
Glass recycling and loop-closing strategies
Smart manufacturing and design for sustainability

Challenge accepted!

From the very beginning, the focus is on collaboration. Experts from industry and academia introduce real world circularity challenges and share where and why glass systems still break down in practice. Sometimes the challenge is technical. Often it is not. Logistics, quality requirements, economics, policy, consumer habits, and geography all play a role.

You will dive into these challenges as part of an interdisciplinary team. Over two working sessions, you sketch ideas, question assumptions, test concepts, and rethink approaches. There is room to experiment, to be bold, and to follow unexpected directions.

The sprint is open to participants from a wide range of disciplines. Technical expertise is welcome, but it is not the only ingredient. Creative thinking, system level perspectives, and fresh questions are just as important. The best ideas often emerge when different ways of thinking collide.

Celebrate your ideas

At the end of the sprint, teams present their solutions to all participants. All ideas are collectively evaluated, but the real value lies in the shared experience. Working together, learning from each other, and discovering that circularity can be challenging, messy, and genuinely enjoyable.

The event creates a protected space to explore without fixed answers or rigid boundaries. It is a place to think out of the box, to connect with others, and to imagine what circular glass systems could look like when creativity and collaboration take the lead.

Sign up

To register for the event, please enter your details in the form below until November 1. After submitting the form, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your registration (please also check your spam folder if necessary). Once your confirmation is received, you will receive the link to the event.

Please note that this workshop is highly interactive and includes breakout rooms. Participation requires a working camera, a good microphone, a stable internet connection, and a quiet space.

For any questions or suggestions, please contact us at summit@everglassproject.eu. More information on the logistics and the agenda is detailed below.

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