Glass packaging records production growth in Europe

European production of glass packaging for food and beverage continues to grow according to latest figures published today from the European Container Glass Federation. The increase of 2% in tonnes and 1.9% in units (representing an increase of 748 million units) recorded in the first half year 2019 corresponds to the best performance over the past 4 years. From 2016-2019, half year production increased by 3.5%. The pace of growth is particularly heartening when comparing to the previous year where the increase was lower (1%).

The strong growth is particularly noteworthy given broader macroeconomic trends in the EU according to consultancy Vivid Economics. “2019 was a challenging year for many major European economies. However, container glass’ impressive production and sales figures are indicative of a healthy, robust and dynamic industry,” according to Paul Sammon, Industry Lead at Vivid Economics which reports and analyses data for FEVE. “The increase in growth suggests the sector remains an attractive one for customers and investors and that container glass will be central to a sustainable, circular economy”.

Sustainability is now influencing consumer purchasing behavior. According to a publicly available report by Nielsen, within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space, it’s now common practice for shoppers to look for a product which is good for them, but also for the environment. For example, 81% of surveyed global respondents believe that it was either “extremely” or “very” important for companies to implement sustainability programs (1).

“Today, growth opportunities for brands are into the ability to combine what is good for the environment with what is good for consumers. This increased demand for glass reflects the increasing consumer quest for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle also when it comes to packaging choice,” states Michel Giannuzzi, President of FEVE.

(1) Source: The Conference Board® Global Consumer Confidence Survey, conducted in collaboration with Nielsen Q2 2017.