O-I Glass Open Day - Art & Industry Festival 2018

The O-I Spotswood glass plant started life in 1872 as the Melbourne Glass Bottle Works Company with glass made from sand mined at Fishermans Bend. The first Spotswood site was purchased in 1880 with glass production commencing ten years later.

The current Spotswood site was purchased in 1908 and over the next ninety years transitioned from The Melbourne Glass Bottle Works Company, an amalgamation of eight glass companies, through to ACI which was acquired by Owens Illinois Inc in 1998, later changing its name to O-I.

Today the Spotswood site manufacture glass from two furnaces with 5 machine lines producing approximately 900 million containers per year. The plant provides glass bottles and jars to major customers throughout Victoria and beyond.

Although pure glass is made from sand, limestone and soda ash, O-I Australia’s glass products contain an average of 40% recycled glass. Stunning mountains of colour coded crushed glass line one side of the glass factory.

As part of the Art and Industry Festival, a limited number of enthusiasts are invited to tour the furnaces of molten glass and all are welcome to view the 1000 square metre mural by Julia Both and Chuck Mayfield which tells the story of the life of glass and the history of the O-I Glass Factory.

Tours are limited to ten per group and six groups are available. Visitors are required to wear enclosed footwear and full length clothing covering arms and legs.