German container glass market in sharp decline

The Sales in the beverage bottle segment is down in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year, at minus 12.4 per cent. A look at the sub-segments shows a decline in sales in the beer and spirits (down 16.5 per cent) and wine and sparkling wine (down 8.2 per cent) segments. Non-alcoholic beverages (water, milk and juice) also recorded a significant drop in sales of 7.8 per cent. The upward trend in glass packaging of previous years is therefore not continuing.

Also the packaging glass segment for food and packaging glass for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics closed the first half of 2023 with a negative sales trend of minus 7.3%. The sub-segments developed similarly: sales of packaging glass for food without OGS (fruit, vegetables and preserves) fell by 7.7 per cent in the first half of 2023. The packaging glass with OGS sub-segment recorded a decline of 6.8 per cent compared to the same period last year. 

„The generally poor situation in the German economy has now also reached the container glass market and interrupted the steady upward trend. The container glass industry had previously proven to be very robust and held up well during the coronavirus crisis and gas shortage. However, this trend unfortunately came to an end in the first half of 2023. The reason for this is a decline in demand and the reduction of stocks. Both of these factors are affecting the entire food value chain. 
In agreement with leading market research institutes, however, we assume that this is the case, that the market has bottomed out and will recover somewhat in the second half of the year."

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Dr Johann Overath, Managing Director of the Bundesverband Glasindustrie e. V.

Source: Glass packaging action forum