Table of Contents
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
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
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)
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)
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.
Glass has multiple every day uses such as packaging of food and beverage items (jars and bottles).
Glass panes can be used as panels, windows, mirrors, or strengthened for use in windscreens.
Glass panes are used in renewable energy technology (solar-energy glass).
Glass can be used in electronics and electrical appliances (for example, fiber-optic cables, oven doors, TV screens, and smart-phones).
Glass can be used for windshields and windows in the production of vehicles, trains, and planes.
Glass can be used for tableware (glasses and bowls) and interior design (tables, lighting and shelves).
Glass can be in medical technology (for example radiation protection from X and gamma-rays) and as packaging for medications.