navigation-menu

Supply Chain Characteristics that Impact Traceability

Traceability Takeaways

  • While the production of glass has been linked with child labor risk in a limited number of countries, glass can be made from a variety of inputs associated with labor rights risks around the world. Glass is also used as an input in downstream end products, or as containers for processed food, beverage, and health products in numerous consumer sectors.
  • Traceability of glass sheets and panes used in the construction or automotive sectors should be sure to trace back to the country and regional level of manufacture. Traceability of manufactured end products that include glass inputs should include efforts to identify and map the supply chains of glass and other inputs.
  • Traceability of food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and health and beauty products that are packaged in glass containers should also include efforts to identify and map the supply chains of glass containers that are used at end product manufacturing facilities.
  • Glass products can be manufactured from recycled glass; the collection of recyclable glass products through waste picking has been associated with child labor and is generally considered hazardous work. Supply chain mapping and discovery is important in glass supply chains to identify the presence of waste picking in recycled glass supply chains. Where waste picking is identified upstream, downstream companies should prioritize these areas for enhanced due diligence, including on-the-ground assessments to hear from families and workers, and potentially to support formalization and organization into cooperatives for these workers.

Nature of Labor Rights Risk/Vulnerable Workers

Child Labor cited by U.S. Government

Risk of Child Labor cited by other source

Documented presence of migrant workers

Forced Labor or Trafficking in Persons cited by U.S. Government

Risk of Forced Labor or Trafficking in Persons cited by other source

Documented presence of other vulnerable workers

Documented presence or significant likelihood of third-party labor recruiters

Features of Production and Supply Chain

Multiple points of aggregation, co-mingling, and/or transformation across supply chain

Large numbers of dispersed, unorganized, or informal small producers or other worksites

Complex/opaque supply chains and/or lack of vertical integration

High degree of flexibility in procurement practices of downstream entities

Distribution of Labor Risk in Various Production Areas

Scale or nature of risk varies significantly based on geographic area of production

Scale or nature of risk is strongly associated with certain types of suppliers/entities

Scale or nature of risk is present across multiple tiers or nodes of supply chain (including in associated downstream or upstream goods)

  • The risk of child labor in the glass industry is primarily associated with Bangladesh and India. In India, glass bangle manufacturing is concentrated in the city of Ferozabad.10Child Labour in Glass – Bangless Industry of Ferozabad – Uttar Pradesh. Centre for Operations, Research and Training (CORT), Working Paper 8, www.cortindia.in/images/rsumm/wpaper/WPN8.pdf.
  • The risk of child labor in glass production in Bangladesh is associated with the manufacturing node of the supply chain.11Abdul Ahad, M., et al. “Urban Child Labor in Bangaldesh: Determinants and Its Possible Impacts on Health and Education.” Social Sciences, 19 March 2021, www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/10/3/107.

Linked Upstream and Downstream Risks

Risk in Nodes in Glass Production

Glass manufacturing includes five primary nodes or stages. The first node involves the collection of raw material inputs, which vary depending on the type of glass that will be produced.12Susmita B. “How to Manufacture Glass: Glass Manufacturing Process.” Engineering Notes, www.engineeringenotes.com/engineering/glass/how-to-manufacture-glass-glass-manufacturing-process/46790. For example, common glass requires chalk, salt cake (Na2SO4), coke, and ordinary sand as inputs. Depending on the type of glass being produces, cullet (recycled broken glass) and decolorizers may be added as inputs as well.13Susmita B., ‘How to Manufacture Glass: Glass Manufacturing Process’, Engineering Notes, www.engineeringenotes.com/engineering/glass/how-to-manufacture-glass-glass-manufacturing-process/46790. Next the raw materials, cullet, and decolorizers are finely powdered in grinding machines and mixed in mixing machines in order to prepare a batch.14Susmita B. “How to Manufacture Glass: Glass Manufacturing Process.” Engineering Notes, www.engineeringenotes.com/engineering/glass/how-to-manufacture-glass-glass-manufacturing-process/46790. The batch is then melted in either a pot or tank furnace.15Susmita B. “How to Manufacture Glass: Glass Manufacturing Process.” Engineering Notes, www.engineeringenotes.com/engineering/glass/how-to-manufacture-glass-glass-manufacturing-process/46790. This stage has been associated with risk of child labor in Bangladesh.16Reeve, S. “Where Children Must Work – Tropic of Cancer – Episode 5 Preview – BBC Two.” BBC, 15 April 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJiOSuG9gZ4. Molten glass is then shaped either through hand-fabrication or machine-fabrication,17Susmita B. “How to Manufacture Glass: Glass Manufacturing Process.” Engineering Notes, www.engineeringenotes.com/engineering/glass/how-to-manufacture-glass-glass-manufacturing-process/46790. including blowing, casting, drawing, pressing, rolling, and spinning.18Susmita B. “How to Manufacture Glass: Glass Manufacturing Process.” Engineering Notes, www.engineeringenotes.com/engineering/glass/how-to-manufacture-glass-glass-manufacturing-process/46790. Hand-fabrication is used for small-scale production and has previously been associated with child labor in Bangladesh.19Reeve, S. “Where Children Must Work – Tropic of Cancer – Episode 5 Preview – BBC Two.” BBC, 15 April 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJiOSuG9gZ4. Finally, glass products cool slowly after manufacturing via either flue treatment or oven treatment in a process called annealing.20Susmita B. “How to Manufacture Glass: Glass Manufacturing Process.” Engineering Notes, www.engineeringenotes.com/engineering/glass/how-to-manufacture-glass-glass-manufacturing-process/46790.

Recycled glass can be processed in two different ways. After being collected and cleaned, it can be put directly into a furnace to melt down and then be processed into a new glass product.21Reeve, S. “Where Children Must Work – Tropic of Cancer – Episode 5 Preview – BBC Two.” BBC, 15 April 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJiOSuG9gZ4. Child labor has been associated with the furnace and fabrication stage of recycled glass production.22Reeve, S. “Where Children Must Work – Tropic of Cancer – Episode 5 Preview – BBC Two.” BBC, 15 April 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJiOSuG9gZ4. Alternatively, glass can be collected, separated into colors, purified using magnets to remove metal contaminants and then crushed into cullet.23Hossain, Z., Prospect and Challenges of Glass Container Industry in Bangladesh: An empirical study on Selected Glass Container Industry of Bangladesh. BRAC Institute of Government and Development (BIGD), December 2014, core.ac.uk/download/pdf/61806133.pdf. This cullet is then purified and sent to glass production factories for processing.24Hossain, Z., Prospect and Challenges of Glass Container Industry in Bangladesh: An empirical study on Selected Glass Container Industry of Bangladesh. BRAC Institute of Government and Development (BIGD), December 2014, core.ac.uk/download/pdf/61806133.pdf.

Raw Material Inputs (including recycled glass products)

Preparation of Batch

Melting in Furnace

Fabrication

Annealing

Finishing (joining, hardening, cutting, coloring)

Associated Upstream Goods with Labor Risk

Recycled glass is an input in some glass products. Waste picking for recyclable material has been associated with child labor risk.

Sand is an input in glass production and has been associated with child labor.

Associated Downstream Goods and Consumer Sectors

Food and Beverage

Glass has multiple every day uses such as packaging of food and beverage items (jars and bottles).

Construction

Glass panes can be used as panels, windows, mirrors, or strengthened for use in windscreens.

Agriculture

Glass panes are used in renewable energy technology (solar-energy glass).

Electronics

Glass can be used in electronics and electrical appliances (for example, fiber-optic cables, oven doors, TV screens, and smart-phones).

Transportation

Glass can be used for windshields and windows in the production of vehicles, trains, and planes.

Household Goods

Glass can be used for tableware (glasses and bowls) and interior design (tables, lighting and shelves).

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

Glass can be in medical technology (for example radiation protection from X and gamma-rays) and as packaging for medications.

Top Global Countries

  1. China25List of exporters for the selected product in 2021. Product: 70 Glass and glassware. ITC Trade Map, www.trademap.org/Country_SelProduct.aspx?nvpm=1%7c%7c%7c%7c%7c70%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1.
  2. Germany
  3. United States of America
  4. France
  5. Japan
  6. Italy
  7. Poland
  8. Belgium
  9. South Korea
  10. Czech Republic

Examples & Resources: Traceability Efforts Associated With Glass

Footnotes