Next Milestone: Successful SCHOTT pilot project for circular economy

Together with the home appliance and waste management industries, discarded cooktops were collected, dismantled, and processed over the past several months. In total, 50 tons of glass-ceramic cullet were gathered. For context: According to SCHOTT’s calculations, around 1.3 million old glass-ceramic cooktops are taken out of service in Germany each year, amounting to roughly 4,000 tons. Until now, many of them have ended up in landfills. If recycling loops can be established, valuable raw materials contained in the cooktops could be recovered and reused in the future - instead of being lost forever. Besinger: “Recycling helps conserve natural resources by reducing the amount of primary raw materials needed for glass production.”

Technological and political challenges

Glass-ceramics and specialty glasses are technically demanding: they must be melted at very high temperatures and meet far stricter quality requirements than bottle or window glass. This is why the successful remelting of old glass-ceramic shards marks an important technological breakthrough for establishing a functioning circular economy in the cooktop sector.

The current challenge is that, while there is a nationwide return option for large electrical appliances, there is no separate and non-destructive collection system for cooktops. SCHOTT and its partners are working with retailers to establish appropriate systems in order to collect more cullet. Yet, to implement cooktop recycling on a large scale, a supportive regulatory framework is needed. So far, Germany and the EU lack regulations for the separate collection of specialty glasses, which is why cooktops are currently shredded together with other large kitchen appliances, like washing machines, at waste sorting facilities — making proper recycling for the glass production impossible. Together with its industry partners, SCHOTT is calling on policymakers at both the national and European levels to back the circular economy for cooktops through clear, supportive regulations.

"The pilot projects show that we as an industry can make a meaningful contribution. Now it is important, together with policymakers and society, to ensure that old appliances do not end up in general waste, but are collected purposefully and without destruction,” says Dr. Torsten Derr, CEO of SCHOTT AG.

Background: CERAN® – Innovation with responsibility

SCHOTT with CERAN® is market leader for durable glass-ceramic cooktops since its market launch in 1971. The material is made predominantly from natural raw materials like quartz sand and stands out for its high thermal resistance, durability, and resistance to chemicals and temperature fluctuations. SCHOTT CERAN® is manufactured exclusively in Germany. The facility in Mainz represents the highest quality standards, technological precision, and responsible production.

For decades, the technology group has been using glass cullets from its own production as a valuable raw material for internal recycling loops: Even now, almost all internally generated shards are recycled back into the production process. This allows the company to avoid waste, save energy, and reduce emissions — a proven model that is now being applied to end-of-life appliances for the first time. With the new pilot project, the company demonstrates that externally collected glass-ceramics — including material from other manufacturers — can also be a valuable raw material for the future.

Sustainability as a company goal

Through projects focused on recycling glass-ceramic cooktops and pharmaceutical packaging, SCHOTT is driving the transformation toward a functioning circular economy. The goal: preserve raw materials, avoid waste, and reduce dependency on imports — in line with the objectives of the EU Green Deal.

In addition, the company is working intensively to decarbonize its energy-intensive production processes and supply chains. This includes increasing the use of renewable energy, investing in energy-efficient melting technologies, and collaborating with suppliers to reduce emissions across the entire value chain.

Learn more about sustainability at SCHOTT 

CERAN® is a registered trademark of SCHOTT AG.