Sales of container glass amounted to around 3.8 million tonnes in 2024, a year-on-year decrease of 2.5%. While there was slight growth in Germany, sales abroad continued to decline, according to the Glass Packaging Action Forum.
Sales of beverage bottles fall in all sub-segments: In the beverage bottle segment, sales in 2024 declined compared to the previous year, falling by 3.6 per cent. A look at the sub-segments shows a decline in sales in the beer and spirits (down 5.0 per cent) and wine and sparkling wine (down 1.5 per cent) segments. Sales of non-alcoholic beverages (water, milk and juice) also fell by 4.9 per cent. The downward trend that was already apparent in the first half of 2024 thus continued.
Stable sales of packaging glass for food
The segment Packaging glass for food and packaging glass for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics closed 2024 on a stable note with sales down 0.1 per cent. The sub-segments developed similarly: sales of packaging glass for food without OGS (fruit, vegetables and preserves) remained at the same level (0.0 per cent). The packaging glass with OGS sub-segment recorded a slight decline of -0.2 per cent compared to the same period last year.
„Unfortunately, the market recovery that we had hoped for in the second half of the year has not materialised. The main reason is still the sharp decline in foreign demand, while other effects such as the reduction in inventories are of secondary importance.“
Dr Johann Overath, Managing Director of the Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V.
Source: Glass packaging action forum
