According to data published by FEVE, the European Federation of manufacturers of glass containers, solid growth was recorded for the European container glass industry in 2014, with production volume increasing by 1.6%.
Last year, solid growth was recorded for the European container glass industry. In the EU28, production volume increased by 1.6% according to FEVE 2014 data. More than 22 million tons or some 50 billion glass containers were sold to customers inside and outside EU markets. All EU countries recorded positive growth although at different paces. Poland posted a 7.4% increase – the highest in the EU region. Growth in the South-East area (2.9%), North-Central area (2.1%) and France (2.2%) were also above the EU average. Outside the EU zone, Turkey recorded a striking 14.8% growth compared to the previous year. Data refer to container glass for food and drink as well as to flacons for perfumery, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. These data confirm a stable trend of the previous years.
“These figures are even more remarkable when we consider the EU consumption shrinking and deflation risk in most of EU countries,” comments Vitaliano Torno – President of FEVE. “Glass packaging remains the preferred choice for customers who want to add value to their product, to communicate its quality and safety to consumers.”
The data underpin the conclusions of a recent Ernst & Young Study commissioned by FEVE to assess the social, environmental and economic impact of the EU container glass industry. The study shows that the industry is a true example of a well-functioning circular economy based on the glass ‘bottle-to-bottle’ recycling model. On the one hand it means less waste, less use of virgin raw materials and energy, less environmental impact; on the other hand it provides long-term economic growth and jobs. The industry yearly invests up to EUR 610 million – or 10% of yearly operational costs – to innovate and maintain a Europe-wide network of 162 EU plants and some 125,000 direct and indirect jobs. The industry has a positive impact on Europe’s trade balance of EUR 21 billion for products primarily packed in glass.
“The industry is a resilient circular economy, able to adapt to changing market needs and stay competitive. We continue to invest to produce high quality and sustainably sound packaging solutions in Europe,” continues Vitaliano Torno.