European consumers have confirmed that glass is their preferred packaging material
Glass is used more and more by Europeans in their choice for food and beverage packaging, considering glass as the most eco-compatible material.
European consumers have confirmed that glass is their preferred packaging material (source: InSites Consulting 2016). Problems regarding environmental, food and conservation safety, are behind this growing preference for glass packaging over all other materials, with 85% of consumers preferring glass.
One out of two consumers say they use glass more and more, and 53% believes that glass is the safest packaging material for food and medicines. This percentage is even higher when speaking about beverages, with 73% saying that glass is the highest quality packaging material.
Moreover, for 76% of today’s consumers, glass is the most eco-compatible material, compared to 50% in 2008, thus showing that more and more consumers consider glass as an excellent eco-compatible material, a significant signal of preference for glass over other recyclable materials.
In Europe, 74% of all glass bottles are collected and recycled, with more than eight Europeans out of ten preferring wine in glass bottles, and three young people out of four (74%) preferring glass as packaging material.
Glass is, in fact, 100% recyclable time after time, becoming new containers in just one month. Each time that a ton of glass is recycled, about 580 kg of CO2 are saved along the entire supply chain, while more than a ton of virgin raw materials are saved for every ton of recycled glass. The production of glass using recycled material reduced atmospheric pollution by 20% and water pollution by 50%.
Glass is considered the ideal packaging for consumer health; glass has no taste or smell, and does not change the taste of the food, beverages and medicine it contains, as well as being an important electric insulating material.
More important data is that the European glass industry contributes EUR 9.5 billion to the annual EU GDP. More than 50% of glass bottles are delivered to clients within a distance of 300 km, which means having production sites that are also within this range.
Overall, the European glass industry provides 125,000 jobs a year across Europe.
This data can be considered valid – in the correct proportions – for all continents, bearing in mind the differences in sensitivity of each area towards environmental problems, recycling, and the preference for glass as safer and more ecological packaging material.
These statistical sources highlight a countertrend that has been going on for some years, giving hope for the future of the whole sector, also in those specific production areas that have undergone the most difficulties, such as that of domestic glass. The belief of the vast majority of consumers that glass is the safest material, suitable and eco-compatible, will certainly have positive returns on all types of glass products.