Overall sales of container glass at a stable level
Sales of container glass declined slightly in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Only the packaging glass for food and pharmaceuticals segments closed the year with a positive result.
5 May 2021
(Image: Shutterstock / Aedka Studio)
Sales of container glass declined slightly overall in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Only the packaging glass for food and pharmaceuticals segments were able to close the year with a positive result.
Sales of container glass in tonnes are fell slightly by 0.5 per cent in 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year - for the first time in years. Developments in Germany (minus 0.8 per cent) and foreign sales (minus 0.1 per cent) were slightly negative, as the Glass packaging action forum has now announced.
Sales of container glass characterised by pandemy
Sales in the individual segments developed differently and were characterised by the ongoing corona pandemic. On the one hand, there was an increased shift to the domestic sphere, with consumers stockpiling and cooking more at home, while on the other hand, celebrations and events were cancelled.
Sales of beverage bottles for non-alcoholic drinks on the rise
Sales in the beverage bottle segment were negative in 2020 compared to the previous year, falling by 3.0 per cent. A look at the sub-segments shows a decline in sales in the beer and spirits (minus 3.3 per cent) and wine and sparkling wine (minus 6.8 per cent) segments. Sales growth of 9.8 per cent Non-alcoholic beverages (water, milk and juice), on the other hand, recorded a decline. The coronavirus-related restrictions and lockdowns led to a slump in the alcoholic beverage segments.
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Stable sales of packaging glass for food
The segment Packaging glass for food and packaging glass for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics closed 2020 on a positive note with sales growth of 4.8 per cent. Demand in the cosmetics sector declined temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic, while the trend in the pharmaceuticals sector was positive.
The sub-segments developed differently: sales of packaging glass for food excluding OGS (fruit, vegetables and preserves) rose by 10.2 per cent in 2020. The sub-segment Packaging glass with OGS closed the year as a whole down 1.7 per cent on the same period of the previous year.
Dr Johann Overath (Image: Bundesverband Glasindustrie e. V.)
„2020 was characterised by the coronavirus pandemic and affected the segments of the container glass industry in different ways. The past year has made many consumers more aware once again that packaging has an important protective function, as it reliably protects food and beverages from environmental influences. Glass has the special property that it is practically inert and therefore does not allow any interaction between the contents and the packaging. It also optimally preserves various products so that they have a long shelf life. According to the ifo Institute, the economic outlook for container glass manufacturers is largely unchanged, with much depending on how the pandemic develops.“ Dr Johann Overath, Managing Director of the Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V.
[infotext icon]The Glass packaging action forum is an initiative of the container glass industry in Germany and part of the umbrella organisation of the German glass industry, the Bundesverband Glasindustrie e. V. The Glass Packaging Action Forum has been in existence since 2000 and aims to communicate the many special features and advantages of glass packaging to packaging decision-makers and the public. The Glass Packaging Action Forum is also the first point of contact in Germany for all questions relating to glass as a packaging material[/infotext].
