Page 73 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 3-2019

G LASS AS A PACKING
rience glass offers. “Glass is all
MATERIAL
about the taste buds. Because it
Phrases that recur
when talking to glass manufac- is odourless and flavourless, and
does not interact with the product
turers is that their product is inside, it preserves and presents
natural, safe, infinitely recyclabil- the flavour of a product exactly as
ity and environmentally friendly. intended.”
Marie-Laure Susset, global
marketing communications lead- GLASS AND THE WAR
er at O-I, lists four main benefits ON PLASTICS
of glass as a packaging material With public focus currently
in the areas of health, the envi- firmly on plastic waste, the ques-
ronment, a premium experience tion arises whether this has posi-
and taste. tively impacted on the demand
With glass being pure and for glass.
impermeable, it can help keep Chris Todd, product innova-
food and beverages fresh. It also tion manager at Allied Glass, has
does not interact with the product seen increased demand for glass
it contains. It is easy to clean, but thinks that this goes beyond
sterilise and re-use. “Glass con- the plastics debate. “Allied Glass
tainers are the only food con- produce glass containers primar-
tact material that is ‘Generally ily for the premium spirits sec-
Recognised as Safe’ by the U.S. tor, which itself is in a state of
Food and Drug Administration,” growth. I have noticed however
she points out. that due to its premium values
From an environmental point and recyclability, companies like
of view, she underlines that glass Coca-Cola have started using and
is made from three natural, read- promoting glass in their advertis-
ily available ingredients: sand, ing. When people are substituting
limestone and soda ash. “A glass plastic containers, they are doing
bottle can go from the recycling so with glass. There are numer-
bin back to the store shelf in as ous articles reporting the rise in
little as 30 days. Earlier this year, popularity of the almost extinct
O-I achieved a Cradle to Cradle milkman as people try to make
certification for 90 per cent of its a difference. These are all proof
worldwide operations,” she adds. that glass is the material of choice
Glass creates emotional con- for boosting environmental cre-
nections with consumers through dentials.”
offering a multisensory experi- Sharon Todd, head of mar-
ence. It is the only packaging keting at Ardagh Glass Europe,
material that people are inspired highlights the emergence of ‘plas-
to save, reuse, repurpose, collect tic-free’ options and concepts.
and display, she claims: “Because “There are a few initiatives such
of its flexibility in shapes, colours as the plastic-free zones recently
and decoration, glass also offers created and supplied by A Plastic
brands a broad range of options to Planet,” she says. “These have
differentiate themselves and offer been reportedly received positive-
unique, premium experiences to ly by consumers, and glass can
their consumers.” Indeed, a con- play an important role in this.”
sumer survey by The European Marie-Laure Susset has
Glass Federation FEVE found also observed a renewed inter-
that 85 per cent of Europeans est in glass that is confirmed by
said they preferred glass over all Euromonitor data. “2016 marked
other packaging materials. an inflection point for glass
Last but not least, Marie-Laure growth globally - glass stopped
Susset highlights the taste expe- declining and started growing
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