A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON SILICA AND THE GLASS INDUSTRY IN THE USA

摘要

Recent reports in the media have pronounced the death of the glass industry in the United States. And if you are not close to the industry, you might believe these stories. The container industry in the USA in 1978 alone produced almost as much glass as all segments combined today. It is true that the glass industry has its challenges, but I believe that with challenge come opportunities. Glass manufacturers today have a global view of the market place and the glass industry remains alive in the USA as manufacturers participate in the global change that is occurring.Production data for glass volume are difficult to find for the USA because data are not reported by any one government agency. Based on interviews with industry experts and secondary resources such as press releases and past DOE reports, I estimate the 2008 glass volume produced in the USA at 17.7 million metric tons, half of which is container glass.