Abstract <p>Glass is one of the most produced material worldwide, requiring silica from sand extracted from natural banks for its fabrication. Unfortunately, besides the environmental impacts of extracting this raw material, a future sand shortage was forecast. At the same time, the rice harvest produces, yearly, million tons of residue like the rice husk, or after burnt, the rice husk ashes (RHA). This residue, known to be rich in silica, is mostly abandoned in fields, also causing environmental problems. Thus, this study investigates the production of rice husk ash glass at low temperatures, evaluating its physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, as a viable alternative for the glass industry. Glasses were produced with two different source of RHA (industrial calcination and lab-controlled calcination), as well as commercial mineral (quartz) sand. The glasses were analyzed by FRX, XRD, DTA, EDS and compared by density, number of microbubbles, resistance to thermal shock and to acid attack. Overall, glasses produced with RHA showed morphological and thermos-chemical characteristics comparable or superior to glass produced with mineral sand, presenting promising properties for commercial feasibility. In addition, the low-temperature production reduces energy consumption and environmental impact: considerations about the environmental, economic and social impacts of this application are also discussed Thus, it can be concluded that rice husk ashes present itself as a viable sustainable alternative to mineral sand in glass production, looking at a possible zero-waste scenario.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>