Etched Glass & The Environment

Modern design does more than peer into the future. It leans into it. Clean ideas lead to clean lines and a clean environment. At EFI, we want you to feel confident that you can lean us and our products as you work to bring your ideas to life in a world were being green is no longer trendy, it is necessary. A great way we can instill that confidence is to educate our market on one of the cleanest aspects of our products – acid etched glass.

We have been very strategic about partnering with companies that are committed to environmentally friendly products and processes. Our glass partner, Omni Décor, is a pioneer in the chemical treatment of glass. The acid etching process can be entirely safe to the environment if the chemicals used are treated properly after the process is completed. Understanding the importance of environmental responsibility, Omni Décor has worked to achieve an ISO 14001 certification for their chemical etching process. With this certification, you can be assured that the glass we market is produced in a fashion that does not harm the environment. Since this process does not change the physical composition of the glass, the product itself is as recyclable as you would expect any high quality glass to be.

Something to keep in mind as you vet any and all glass suppliers with whom you might work is that any glass treatment process should carry with it environmental concerns. For instance, some companies will sand blast glass to achieve an etched look. The sand used to texture glass combines with glass particles (silica) during this process. These should be separated from one another post-production and recycled. In many instances, this surface is then sealed and any sealer used for this purpose should be non-toxic. Painting of glass is a standard process in the glass industry as well. Any paint applied to glass needs to be organic or lead free. Additionally, anytime paint is discharged into the air it needs to be captured and appropriately disposed of. It may be helpful to request (a) certification(s) similar to ISO 14001 from any potential supplier so that you can be assured of minimal environmental impact.

Sustainability is important to us and we are certain that it is to you. At EFI, we are committed to products and processes that work with your sustainability goals.

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