In the Mediterranean town of Béziers, a bottle manufacturing plant owned by the American group O-I produces around 1 million bottles per day, primarily catering to wine producers. According to factory manager Olivier Henri Guillot, 89% of the materials they use are recyclable.
Guillot explained that the factory employs approximately 90 workers directly, with an additional 50 contracted externally.
“We produce around 1 million bottles daily, most of which are sold within a 200-kilometer radius of the plant. To create our glass paste, we utilize 89% recyclable materials, mostly glass collected from local services. This glass is sorted and reintroduced into our furnaces,” Guillot stated.
The production process involves heating the glass to 1,500 degrees Celsius, shaping it into rods, and then directing it to specialized machines where it is molded into bottles. “The process has two main stages: first, the preform of the object is created, and then it undergoes a finishing phase where the final shape and details are added,” he explained.
Guillot also highlighted that the factory produces glass in various shapes and colors, supplying alcoholic beverage manufacturers across Europe.
“O-I Group is a significant global company, operating approximately 60 glass furnaces worldwide. In France, we have nine factories catering to different markets, including bottled water, wine, spirits, and beer bottles,” he added.
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“KORÇA BOOM”
