Glass for Europe visits company that specialises in designing bird-friendly solutions

On 25 April, the Glass for Europe secretariat visited the offices of Orion Laser Tech, a company that develops machinery with a focus on lasering of glass, for instance to create bird-friendly markings to reduce fatalities and protect biodiversity.

If the scale of the problem remains mostly unknown due to limited data availability, it is often estimated that millions of birds die each year in Europe as a result of collisions with glass surfaces. An issue which could be further worsened due to the expansion of cities and buildings, as well as the increased pressure on bird ecosystems. This issue has recently gained in visibility however the glass and glazing industry has been proactively developing solutions for years.

Given that birds, like humans, orient themselves visually, they need to judge where they are flying. The transparency and reflective properties of glass can therefore be a hazard to birds, either because they are unable to recognise glass as a solid object, or because they are misled by reflections from a known environment (such as trees or bushes). This situation can be prevented by making glass more visible to birds for instance by marking it with patterns. Laser-engraving technology is just one of the many solutions for marking glass to reduce collisions.

It is important to note that research in this area is progressing rapidly. The flat glass and glazing industry is investing in research and development and working with ornithologists to continue to develop highly effective products without altering the visual, thermal and solar control properties of the glass. Glass for Europe will pursue its work to understand and convey the industry’s efforts to protect wildlife.