Gitnux/Report 2026

Container Glass Industry Statistics

A 2023 global glass packaging recycling market at $6.4 billion sits alongside a 75.6% EU glass packaging recycling rate in 2022, so the page pinpoints why cullet supply and furnace economics are inseparable. It connects sharp climate and operational gains such as 10% cullet cutting energy by about 3% and up to 80% less landfill volume with the real-world bottlenecks of contamination, yield losses, and logistics that shape container glass output.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Container Glass Industry Statistics
Timothy GrantWritten by Timothy Grant·Edited by Priya Chandrasekaran·Fact-checked by Olivia Thornton
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The container glass industry at a glance

The global glass packaging market was valued at $69.83 billion in 2025, while European container-glass production reached 20.3 million tonnes and 73.3 billion units.

$69.83B[57]
Global market size, 2025
4.41%[57]
Global CAGR, 2026–2034
20.3M tonnes[6]
European production, 2025
41.33%[57]
Asia-Pacific share, 2025
Market size
The global glass packaging market was valued at $69.83 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $72.69 billion in 2026. In Europe, food-and-beverage container-glass production reached 20.3 million tonnes in 2025.[57][6]
Forecast & CAGR
The global market is projected to reach $102.62 billion by 2034, representing a 4.41% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2034. The U.S. glass-packaging market is forecast to grow at 3.7% annually from 2025 to 2030, reaching $10.42 billion by 2030.[57][58]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific held 41.33% of the global glass-packaging market in 2025. Europe remains a major production center: FEVE reported 20.3 million tonnes and 73.3 billion food-and-beverage containers produced in 2025.[57][6]
Segmentation
By end use, alcoholic beverages generated $3.91 billion of O-I Glass's 2025 sales, compared with $1.38 billion from food and other products and $1.04 billion from non-alcoholic beverages. Across the broader glass-packaging market, beverages represented 46.1% of application revenue in 2023, while vials accounted for 31.5% of product revenue.[8][58]
Key players & concentration
Major container-glass competitors identified by O-I include Verallia, Ardagh Group, Vetropack, Vidrala and BA Glass. O-I reported $6.43 billion in 2025 net sales and said one customer accounted for approximately 10% of consolidated sales, indicating meaningful customer concentration even though a reliable global producer concentration ratio was not identified.[8]
Pricing
O-I reported that average selling prices were broadly stable overall in 2025, but regional pricing diverged: higher selling prices increased Americas sales by $136 million, while lower average selling prices reduced European sales by $150 million. The company also cited inflation-cost pass-through as a driver of Americas pricing.[8]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand is supported by food, beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetics packaging, while lightweighting and decarbonisation remain central industry priorities. FEVE reported that the average European container weight fell to 277 grams in 2025 and that more than 80% of glass packaging was recycled in the EU; O-I reported 3% lower 2025 shipments in tons and cited subdued demand, inventory corrections and capacity optimization as challenges.[6][8]
Consumer behavior & competition
Glass competes on recyclability, product protection, premium appearance and reusability, particularly in alcoholic beverages, food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. In Europe, around 40% of glass beverage containers were returnable in 2025, while beverage applications represented 46.1% of global glass-packaging revenue in 2023.[6][58]
M&A
CANPACK and CP Glass agreed a planned merger on July 15, 2026, under which CANPACK would acquire CP Glass through a Polish universal-succession merger. In India, Independent Sugar Corporation's acquisition of Hindustan National Glass was approved through the insolvency process on August 14, 2025.[20][59]
Regulation
EU Regulation 2025/40 retains a 70% recycling target for glass packaging for 2025 and raises it to 75% for 2030. The European Commission also identifies binding reuse targets and mandatory deposit-return systems as part of the EU packaging-waste framework.[56][60]
Latest news
FEVE's 2025 industry update, published July 24, 2026, reported 2% growth in both European food-and-beverage container-glass tonnage and units, to 20.3 million tonnes and 73.3 billion units. The update also reported more than 850,000 jobs supported across the EU glass-packaged-goods ecosystem.[6]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Container Glass Industry

The leading companies in the container glass industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Stoelzle Glass Group and Gerresheimer are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 container glass ranking with an Overall score of 9.0 each.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in premium spirits bottles

    Stoelzle Glass Group

    AT

    Ranked #1 · 9.0 · Premium spirits bottles

    Why we picked it: Its product coverage spans pharma and premium consumer categories within packaging glass for multiple end uses.

    See in ranking ↓Visit stoelzle.com ↗

  2. Leader in pharmaceutical packaging glass

    Gerresheimer

    DE

    Ranked #2 · 9.0 · Pharmaceutical packaging glass

    Why we picked it: Its container-glass focus centers on pharmaceutical primary packaging through the Tubular Glass business.

    See in ranking ↓Visit gerresheimer.com ↗

  3. Leader in food and beverage jars

    BA Glass

    PT

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Food and beverage jars

    Why we picked it: Scale comes from 13 manufacturing plants and 12 billion containers annually for food and beverage bottles.

    See in ranking ↓Visit baglass.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the container glass industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Stoelzle Glass Group

Premium spirits bottles · AT

9.0
2

Gerresheimer

Pharmaceutical packaging glass · DE

9.0
3

BA Glass

Food and beverage jars · PT

8.8
4

Nihon Yamamura Glass

Beverage glass containers · JP

8.8
5

Stevanato Group

Pharmaceutical packaging glass · IT

8.8
6

Orora

Glass bottles and beverage packaging · AU

8.7
7

Vidrala

Food and beverage glass packaging · ES

8.7
8

Ardagh Group

Glass packaging for beverage, food, spirits and pharma markets · LU

8.5
9

O-I Glass

Food, beverage and pharmaceutical glass containers · US

8.5
10

PGP Glass

Beer, wine, spirits, food and beverage glass · UA

8.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the container glass industry. In Container Glass Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/container-glass-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Glass production share by sector (EU27 plus UK)

Container glass holds the largest share at 63.4%.

Container glass63.4%
Flat glass30%
Domestic glass2.4%
Special glass2.3%
Fibres1.8%
source-verifiedwko.at

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Digitalization and automation show up in survey signals, while container-glass reporting lists 150+ decarbonisation and innovation projects in 2025.

Digital Transformation in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across European chemical subindustries, 65% of companies viewed digitalization as an opportunity that would significantly impact their activities in 2024.[1]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 57% identified moving to SAP S/4HANA as a top focus area in 2025.[2]
  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 46% ranked automation among their leading technology focus areas in 2025.[2]
  • Among EII businesses, 68% reported adopting AI in 2024, with an estimated 10% productivity increase.[1]

Technology Adoption in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 53% had implemented AI for real-time process control and optimization in 2025.[3]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for quality inspection or defect detection in 2025.[3]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 49% had implemented AI for production planning and scheduling in 2025.[3]
  • Among chemicals organizations surveyed by IBM, 45% had implemented AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.[3]

Cloud Computing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, more than 35% had at least partially migrated to cloud computing in 2023.[4]
  • Across chemical-sector companies surveyed by Arthur D. Little and Cefic, 15% planned to migrate to cloud computing in coming years in 2023.[4]
  • Among EII businesses, 2% reported decreased productivity from cloud computing in 2024.[1]
  • Among EII businesses, 52% reported increased productivity from cloud computing in 2024, while 46% reported no change.[1]

Big Data in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among ASUG chemicals-industry members, 49% cited gaining actionable insights from data and analytics as a current challenge in 2025.[2]
  • Among EII businesses, 48% reported increased productivity from big data in 2024.[1]
  • Among EII businesses, 6% reported decreased productivity from big data in 2024.[1]
  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported no productivity change from big data in 2024.[1]

IoT in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EII businesses, 44% reported increased productivity from IoT in 2024.[1]
  • Among EII businesses, 56% reported no productivity change from IoT in 2024.[1]
  • Across European countries, 29% of firms used IoT on average in 2021.[5]
  • Across 23 European countries, close to one-third of manufacturing firms used IoT in 2021.[5]

Innovation in the container glass industry

  • 150+ decarbonisation and innovation projects were underway across Europe’s container-glass industry in 2025.[6]
  • Hybrid furnaces can deliver up to 64% CO₂ reductions in European container-glass production.[6]
  • 162 container-glass plants operated across Europe in 2023.[7]
  • 23 European countries had container-glass plants in 2023.[7]
  • 80.8% was the industry-wide glass collection-for-recycling rate reported for Europe’s glass-packaging industry in 2025.[6]
  • €600 million was invested annually in electrification, hybrid furnaces, hydrogen trials and circular logistics by Europe’s glass-packaging industry in 2025.[6]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data coverage is operational and measurable, including O-I’s 64 glass manufacturing plants in 18 countries and AI use tied to bottle tracking pilots.

Business intelligence in the container glass industry

  • 64 glass manufacturing plants in 18 countries formed O-I Glass’s operating network in 2025, providing the company’s geographic basis for business reporting.[8]
  • Three principal operating areas—productivity, energy savings and quality—were identified by Verallia as Industry 4.0 objectives for its factories.[9]
  • One individual digital identity was assigned to each tracked 0.75-litre reusable bottle in Vetropack’s German pilot.[10]
  • Two reportable geographic segments—Americas and Europe—were used by O-I Glass for internal management and performance evaluation in 2025.[8]
  • All Verallia business units had access to the ESIII advanced-control system, according to the company’s Industry 4.0 description.[9]

Data analytics in the container glass industry

  • ISO 14040/44 was the standards basis for FEVE’s container-glass lifecycle assessment and its associated data inventories.[6]
  • Three lifecycle-inventory scenarios—53.55% recycled content, 100% recycled content and 0% recycled content—were published by FEVE for container-glass analysis.[6]
  • AI-based camera systems read individual bottle serial numbers as reusable bottles passed through filling lines in Vetropack’s 2026 pilot.[10]
  • 214 EU container-glass furnaces were covered by FEVE’s 2019 food-and-beverage lifecycle assessment.[6]

Data Quality in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 80% of manufacturers reported a measured value for their operational data in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[11]
  • 44% of companies in the manufacturing survey reported AI-project failures caused by poor data quality in 2025, across surveyed manufacturers.[12]
  • 42% of manufacturers had a process to verify manufacturing-data accuracy and quality in 2026, while 51% did not.[11]
  • 49% of supply-management organizations rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024, based on an Institute for Supply Management survey.[13]
  • 67% of supply-management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[13]
  • 89% of manufacturers said data use improved their decision-making processes in 2026, across the surveyed manufacturing sector.[11]

Data Governance in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • 90% of supply-management organizations agreed or strongly agreed that data governance was necessary in 2024.[13]
  • 28% of manufacturers had a data-governance leader in 2026, across the Manufacturing Leadership Council survey.[11]
  • 52% of global chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[14]
  • 67% of GCC chemical companies had established performance management or KPIs around digital supply chains in 2022.[14]
  • 46% of GCC chemical companies had established common data standards with collaboration partners in 2022.[14]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[13]

KPIs in the container glass industry

  • 90% of European container-glass production was covered by Science Based Targets initiative targets in FEVE’s 2024 reporting.[7]
  • 65% of O-I Glass’s global electricity volume was renewable in 2025.[15]
  • 2% was the year-over-year increase in European food-and-beverage container-glass production in 2025, measured in both tonnes and units.[6]
  • 80.2% was the glass-container collection rate in Europe in 2022, according to FEVE’s decarbonisation report.[7]
  • 133,000 metric tonnes of CO2 reductions were estimated from O-I Glass energy-saving projects in 2025.[15]
  • 42% was O-I Glass’s average recycled-content performance in 2025.[15]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Growth options cluster around geographic expansion and deal activity, with CANPACK and CP Glass agreeing a planned merger on July 15, 2026.

Growth in the container glass industry

  • Verallia produced more than 16 billion glass bottles and jars in 2024 across its global operating network.[9]
  • Verallia operated 35 glass production plants across 12 countries in 2024 as part of its international growth platform.[9]
  • Vetropack reported CHF778.9 million of net sales in 2025, down 7.5% from 2024 amid market overcapacity and price pressure.[16]
  • Ardagh Glass Packaging Europe and Africa reported $2.738 billion of revenue in 2024.[17]
  • O-I Glass identified geographical expansion, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic partnerships as Horizon 3 growth options.[8]
  • Vetropack produced approximately 5 billion glass containers in 2024.[16]

Differentiation in the container glass industry

  • Verallia operated 6 decoration plants in 2024 to support differentiated glass-packaging designs.[9]
  • Vetropack developed personalised and distinctive glass-packaging solutions in addition to standard products in 2024.[16]
  • Verallia produced more than 16 billion bottles and jars for both local family producers and major international brands in 2024.[9]
  • O-I Glass manufactured glass containers in a wide range of sizes, shapes and colours in 2024.[8]
  • Vetropack’s product portfolio covered food and beverage packaging for approximately 1,700 business customers in 2024.[16]
  • Vetropack used seven glassworks in seven countries to position customised packaging production close to European customers in 2024.[16]

Mergers and acquisitions in the container glass industry

  • Ardagh completed its strategic acquisition of Consol Glass in Africa in 2022.[18]
  • O-I Glass acquired BSN Glasspack in 2004 as part of its expansion across Europe and other regions.[18]
  • Novvia Group acquired Liquid Bottles, a Florida supplier of plastic and glass containers, in September 2024.[19]
  • BA Glass acquired CANPACK’s Polish glass operations, including the Orzesze plant, on April 2, 2024.[20]
  • Ardagh agreed to acquire Saint-Gobain’s Verallia North America business for €1.3 billion in 2013.[18]
  • Independent Sugar Corporation acquired Hindustan National Glass & Industries in September 2025 to modernise operations and expand its container-glass presence in India.[21]

Strategic partnerships in the container glass industry

  • O-I Glass held interests in three joint ventures manufacturing glass containers in the Americas in 2024.[8]
  • Vetropack described close collaboration with customers as a core success factor for product and process innovation in 2024.[16]
  • Vetropack operated seven cullet-processing plants of its own in 2024 to support circular glass-packaging supply chains.[16]
  • O-I Glass held interests in two joint ventures manufacturing glass containers in Italy in 2024.[8]
  • The Pernod Ricard–ecoSPIRITS partnership began with a pilot programme in Singapore in late 2022.[22]
  • O-I Glass identified joint ventures and strategic partnerships as part of its Horizon 3 strategic-growth options in 2024.[8]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce signals include 70 new programmes added to Verallia’s Imagine digital learning platform in 2024 and remote/hybrid split measures in 2026.

Employee retention in the container glass industry

  • 4,367 Verallia employees held company shares in 2021.[9]
  • 57.0% was Verallia’s employee-engagement index in 2021.[9]
  • 5.0% was Verallia’s employee absenteeism rate in 2021.[9]
  • 45% of Verallia employees were employee shareholders in 2021.[9]

Remote Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 25% worked exclusively remotely in August 2026.[23]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 5.7% of positions were fully remote in 2024.[24]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 8% preferred fully remote work in 2025.[25]
  • Among U.S. energy, natural-resources and chemicals workers, 25% preferred mostly remote work in 2025.[25]

Hybrid Work in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked in a hybrid arrangement in August 2026.[23]
  • U.S. hybrid employees spent an average of 46% of their workweek on-site in 2026.[23]
  • Across U.S. chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing employers, 44.5% of positions were fully hybrid in 2024.[24]
  • Across U.S. hybrid employees, 48% said their team had not discussed a formal or informal collaboration plan in 2026.[23]
  • Across U.S. remote-capable employees, 61% preferred a hybrid work arrangement in November 2025.[23]

Upskilling in the container glass industry

  • 304,902 total training hours were completed at Verallia in 2021.[9]
  • 78.8% of Verallia’s workforce received training in 2021.[9]
  • 70 new programmes were added to Verallia’s Imagine digital learning platform in 2024.[9]
  • 25% of Verallia’s Imagine platform users in 2024 were manual workers.[9]
  • 3,622 employees were included in Vetropack’s 2024 workforce total after adding trainees, apprentices and interns.[16]

Employee Engagement in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among global managers, 22% were engaged at work in 2025, compared with 19% of non-managers.[23]
  • Across employees in the United States, 32% were engaged at work in 2025.[23]
  • Across best-practice organizations recognized by Gallup, 70% of employees were engaged in 2025.[23]
  • Across employees in the United States and Canada, 31% were engaged at work in 2025.[23]
  • Across employees worldwide, 20% were engaged at work in 2025.[23]

DEI in the container glass industry

  • 50 was O-I Glass’s Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index score reported in its 2024 proxy statement.[26]
  • 63 nationalities were represented among Verallia employees in 2021.[9]
  • 25% of Vetropack’s management were women in 2025.[16]
  • 30% is Vetropack’s target for women in management by 2032.[16]
  • 94 was Verallia France’s Gender Equity Index score in 2024.[9]

Change Management in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across organizations surveyed globally, 46% said they were succeeding at business outcomes during times of change in 2022.[27]
  • Across leaders in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, 73% reported employee change fatigue in 2026.[28]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer management relies on scheduled supply and contract structures; O-I reported customers provide regular need estimates to support production scheduling.

Customer experience in the container glass industry

  • 90.79% was Taiwan Glass’s 2022 satisfaction score for its container, tableware and kitchenware segment in Taiwan and overseas markets.[29]
  • 11 U.S. purchasers rated reliability of supply very important when buying glass containers, according to the USITC’s purchaser questionnaire.[30]
  • 11 U.S. purchasers rated availability very important when buying glass containers, according to the USITC’s purchaser questionnaire.[30]
  • 80% of Taiwan Glass’s 2023 container, tableware and kitchenware survey responses came from domestic customers.[29]
  • 92.28% was Taiwan Glass’s 2023 satisfaction score for its container, tableware and kitchenware segment in Taiwan and overseas markets.[29]

Customer retention in the container glass industry

  • 122 customer-satisfaction improvement measures were implemented by Vetropack following its Voice of Customer survey reported in 2024.[16]
  • Most of O-I Glass’s container products were sold directly to customers under annual or multi-year supply agreements in 2025.[8]
  • O-I Glass said many customers provide regular product-need estimates to support production scheduling and inventory management in 2025.[8]
  • One O-I Glass customer represented approximately 10% of consolidated net sales in 2025.[8]

Customer loyalty in the container glass industry

  • 94% of respondents described their experience with Vetropack as positive or improving in the company’s 2026 customer survey.[31]
  • 52 was Vetropack’s Net Promoter Score in its 2026 Voice of the Customer survey of glass-container customers.[31]
  • 68% of respondents ranked Vetropack as their preferred supplier in the company’s 2026 customer survey.[31]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand measurement is anchored in documented participation and consumer research, including 220,000 Friends of Glass members by 2022.

Marketing in the container glass industry

  • 220,000 people had joined the Friends of Glass community in Europe and beyond by 2022.[32]
  • More than 4,000 consumers in 13 European countries participated in FEVE’s 2022 survey supporting the Friends of Glass consumer-marketing platform.[6]
  • 2,011 German adults were surveyed in August 2025 for a representative Aktionsforum Glasverpackung glass-packaging preference campaign.[33]
  • Approximately 80% of surveyed European consumers viewed glass as a packaging material fit for the future in 2022.[6]

Branding in the container glass industry

  • Glass was the clear preferred packaging material among surveyed German consumers in the 2025 Aktionsforum Glasverpackung survey.[33]
  • Approximately 80% of consumers across 13 European countries considered glass packaging fit for the future in FEVE’s 2022 brand-perception research.[6]

Social media in the container glass industry

  • 17 TikTok followers were recorded for the Glass Packaging Institute as of November 14, 2023.[34]
  • 2.9% was the reported Instagram follower growth for the Glass Packaging Institute’s Choose Glass social-media activity in 2023.[34]
  • 631 Instagram followers were recorded for the Glass Packaging Institute as of November 14, 2023.[34]
  • 7,208 LinkedIn followers were recorded for the Glass Packaging Institute as of November 14, 2023.[34]
  • 6,323 Facebook followers were recorded for the Glass Packaging Institute as of November 14, 2023.[34]

Influencer Marketing in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across B2B companies, 43% of marketers reported outstanding results from influencer programs in the 2025 B2B Influencer Marketing Report.[35]
  • In U.S. manufacturing, 19% of marketers used influencer marketing among paid channels in the prior 12 months, according to a 2025 industry benchmark.[36]
  • Across B2B companies, 81% of marketers had a dedicated influencer-marketing budget in a September 2024 U.S. survey of firms with at least 100 employees.[37]
  • Across B2B companies, 55% of marketers used creators in 2025, based on a March 2025 Ipsos survey of 1,500 marketing professionals.[38]
  • Across B2B companies, 29% of marketers planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in a March 2025 Ipsos survey.[38]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Execution data links production and sustainability outputs, including FEVE reporting a 277 grams average container weight in European production in 2025.

Process optimization in the container glass industry

  • 3.6% was Vidrala’s year-on-year reduction in CO₂ emissions per tonne of melted glass in 2025.[39]
  • 9 glass-production plants formed Vidrala’s operating network in 2025.[39]
  • 40%–90% of raw materials used in Osotspa’s glass factories can be recycled glass cullet, depending on economic feasibility, in 2024 in Thailand.[40]
  • €55 million of O-I Glass’s 2024 French investment was allocated to the Gironcourt-sur-Vraine plant for a furnace rebuild and GOAT technology.[15]
  • €40 million of O-I Glass’s 2024 French investment was allocated to the Reims glass-packaging plant.[15]

Operational efficiency in the container glass industry

  • 55.4% of Vidrala’s total raw-material input was recycled glass in 2025.[39]
  • 8 glassworks operated in Vetropack’s network in 2024.[16]
  • 9.0 billion glass containers were produced annually by Vidrala in 2025.[39]
  • 124,000 tons of glass were collected through approximately 40 O-I Glass closed-loop programs in 2025.[15]
  • 47 community collection sites were operated through O-I Glass’s recycling activities in the latest sustainability reporting.[15]

Quality management in the container glass industry

  • 100,000 training hours were recorded by Vidrala in 2025 as part of its industrial and workforce-management activities.[39]
  • 2,500 different glass-container designs were included in Vetropack’s 2024 product portfolio.[16]
  • 400 kilometres was Vetropack’s maximum stated delivery radius from its glassworks in 2024, supporting customer-focused quality and service.[16]
  • 9.0 billion containers were produced annually by Vidrala for more than 1,600 customers in 2025.[39]
  • 4 U.S. glass-container producers reported using transaction-by-transaction negotiations, contracts or price lists as price-setting methods in the USITC investigation.[30]

Supply chain in the container glass industry

  • 90.0% of U.S. producers’ glass-container shipments were sold under long-term contracts in 2018.[30]
  • Approximately 5,000 direct suppliers served Vetropack’s glass-packaging group in 2024.[16]
  • 3,585 people were employed by Vetropack across its glass-packaging operations in 2024.[16]
  • 8.7% was the average U.S. inland-transportation cost reported by glass-container producers in the USITC investigation.[30]
  • 100% of Vetropack’s direct suppliers were located in Europe in 2024.[16]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the chemicals and materials sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 34.1% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing cited labour-cost reduction as a motivation during 2021–2023.[41]
  • Across 22 EU countries and Norway, 72.8% of enterprises engaged in international sourcing moved business functions to other EU countries during 2021–2023.[41]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers but reported no success in 2025.[42]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 50% of customer respondents were actively pushing onshoring projects in 2025.[42]
  • Across North American specialty chemicals, 43% of customer respondents actively drove onshoring projects with suppliers and achieved some success in 2025.[42]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Regional pricing divergence appears in O-I’s reporting, where higher selling prices increased Americas sales by $136 million and lower prices reduced European sales by $150 million.

Pricing strategy in the container glass industry

  • €131 million was Vidrala Italy’s 2023 revenue before its glass-container business was acquired by Verallia.[9]
  • 4 U.S. glass-container producers reported using contracts as a pricing method in the USITC investigation.[30]
  • 90.0% of U.S. glass-container producers’ shipments were sold via long-term contracts in 2018.[30]
  • 3 U.S. glass-container producers reported using transaction-by-transaction pricing in the USITC investigation.[30]
  • 4 U.S. glass-container producers reported using set price lists as a pricing method in the USITC investigation.[30]

Cost reduction in the container glass industry

  • More than $225 million was spent on electricity by the U.S. container-glass industry in 2013.[43]
  • €230 million was the enterprise value of Verallia’s 2024 Italian acquisition, intended to strengthen its industrial and commercial presence.[9]
  • More than $220 million was spent on fuel by the U.S. container-glass industry in 2013.[43]
  • 49% of U.S. container-glass energy expenditure was attributed to fuel in 2013.[43]
  • 2.5 million MWh of annual electricity was estimated for the three U.S. container-glass plant-size categories in the EPA’s 2013 industry snapshot.[43]

Profitability in the container glass industry

  • €1,588.3 million was Vidrala’s 2024 net sales, up 1.9% from 2023.[39]
  • CHF182.7 million was Vetropack’s 2024 net sales from Croatia.[16]
  • CHF304.8 million was Vetropack’s 2024 net sales from Switzerland and Austria.[16]
  • €1,558.8 million was Vidrala’s 2023 net sales before the company reported €1,588.3 million in 2024.[39]
  • CHF842.1 million was Vetropack’s 2024 net sales, down 6.3% from 2023.[16]

Financial planning in the container glass industry

  • €95 million was O-I Glass’s 2024 capital investment in two French glass-packaging plants.[15]
  • 21 furnaces formed Vidrala’s furnace base in 2025.[39]
  • €230 million was the enterprise value of Verallia’s planned 2024 acquisition of Vidrala’s Italian glass-container business.[9]
  • €55 million was O-I Glass’s planned 2024 investment in the Gironcourt-sur-Vraine plant.[15]
  • €40 million was O-I Glass’s planned 2024 investment in the Reims plant.[15]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product performance tracking includes lifecycle inputs and reuse benchmarks, such as 25.4% less melting energy with 100% cullet versus 100% virgin materials.

Product development in the container glass industry

  • 277 grams was the average container weight in European production in 2025, reflecting continuing lightweighting of newly developed packaging.[6]
  • More than €600 million is invested annually by Europe’s glass-container industry in efficiency, plant upgrades and decarbonisation projects that support process and product development.[7]
  • 20.3 million tonnes of food-and-beverage container glass were produced in Europe in 2025.[6]
  • 73.3 billion food-and-beverage glass containers were produced in Europe in 2025.[6]
  • 2% was the 2025 growth rate for European food-and-beverage container-glass production in both tonnes and units.[6]

Product lifecycle in the container glass industry

  • 20–25 reuse cycles represented the current estimated efficiency level for container glass in a UK resource-efficiency assessment.[44]
  • More than 80% was the European glass-container recycling rate reported for 2025.[6]
  • 19 reuse cycles was the average reported for beverage bottles in a 2025 European reuse-barometer sample covering 11 companies.[45]
  • 25.4% less melting energy is required when glass is produced with 100% cullet instead of 100% virgin materials, according to FEVE’s lifecycle inventory.[6]
  • 53.55% was the EU-average recycled-content assumption in FEVE’s 2019 container-glass lifecycle inventory.[6]

After-sales in the container glass industry

  • 124,000 tonnes of glass were collected through O-I Glass’s closed-loop programmes in 2025.[15]
  • 10% of O-I Glass’s consolidated net sales came from one customer in 2025, highlighting the scale of key-account service relationships.[8]
  • Every 0.75-litre reusable ViO and Apollinaris bottle in the German digital-tracking pilot received an individual Data Matrix code.[10]
  • Annual or multi-year supply agreements covered most of O-I Glass’s direct customer sales in 2025.[8]
  • One to three years was the contract range for significant European energy requirements at O-I Glass in 2025, supporting continuity of customer supply.[8]

Value proposition in the container glass industry

  • More than €140 billion in value added was contributed to the EU economy by glass-packaged goods and the related container-glass ecosystem in 2025.[6]
  • More than €140 billion in EU exports were associated with glass-packaged products, according to FEVE’s 2026 industry facts.[6]
  • 98% of approximately 40,000 European manufacturing companies using glass packaging were SMEs, according to FEVE’s 2026 industry facts.[6]
  • More than 850,000 jobs were sustained across the EU by the container-glass and glass-packaged-goods ecosystem in 2025.[6]
  • Around 50,000 workers were directly employed by Europe’s container-glass sector, according to FEVE’s 2026 industry facts.[6]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Decarbonisation and circularity targets are quantified, including EU glass-packaging recycling of over 80% for 2025 and O-I’s 3% CO2 reduction pace cited for 2019–2025.

Sustainability in the container glass industry

  • 70% was the reduction in CO2 emissions achieved by European glass production over 50 years.[6]
  • 277 grams was the average container weight in European production in 2025.[6]
  • 82.2% of European glass packaging was collected for recycling in 2024, the highest rate recorded to date.[46]
  • €610 million was invested annually by Europe’s glass packaging industry in decarbonisation, energy efficiency and plant modernisation.[6]
  • 50% was the reduction in energy consumption achieved by European glass production over 40 years.[6]

ESG in the container glass industry

  • 28% was O-I’s reduction in total CO2e emissions from its 2019 baseline by 2025.[15]
  • 65% was O-I’s global renewable-electricity share by volume in 2025.[15]
  • 1.63 was O-I’s employee total recordable incident rate in 2025.[15]
  • 70% is Vetropack’s target for average recycled content in glass packaging by 2030.[16]
  • 42% was O-I’s average recycled content in 2025.[15]

Ethics in the container glass industry

  • 69 O-I plants with full operational control were covered by the company’s 2023 GRI reporting scope.[15]
  • 324 strategic suppliers were covered by Vetropack’s supply-chain integrity and responsible-working-condition approach in 2024.[16]
  • 100% of Vetropack’s approximately 324 strategic suppliers were based in Europe in 2024 and subject to the group’s standards and guidelines.[16]

CSR in the container glass industry

  • 23,000 employees were represented in O-I’s global sustainability programme in 2024.[26]
  • 124,000 tons of glass were collected through approximately 40 O-I closed-loop programs in 2025.[15]
  • 47 O-I community collection sites were reported in the company’s 2025 sustainability scorecard.[15]
  • 5 O-I Glass4Good programs were reported in the company’s 2025 sustainability scorecard.[15]

Circular economy in the container glass industry

  • 63.3% was the UK container-glass circularity rate reported for 2021.[47]
  • 87% of materials entering surveyed European glass-cullet recycling facilities originated from post-consumer municipal waste in 2022.[46]
  • 7,536,875 tonnes of glass were sent to closed-loop recycling from surveyed European facilities in 2022.[46]
  • 98.8% was the traceability rate for materials entering surveyed European glass-cullet recycling facilities in 2022.[46]
  • 7,691,813 tonnes of post-consumer glass from municipal waste entered surveyed European recycling facilities in 2022.[46]

Carbon footprint in the container glass industry

  • 5% is the approximate CO2 reduction associated with adding 10% used glass to the melt, according to FEVE-based studies cited by Vetropack.[16]
  • 2.92 million metric tons of direct CO2e emissions were reported by 41 U.S. container-glass plants in 2019.[48]
  • 14% is the targeted reduction in the carbon footprint of glass containers from Ardagh Glass Packaging’s onsite renewable-hydrogen project.[49]
  • 0.91 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of primary container glass was estimated with 20% recycled content in the IAI-Eunomia pathway.[50]
  • 64% was the reduction in carbon emissions per bottle achieved by Ardagh’s NextGen Furnace by June 2024.[49]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Regional footprints are tied to production networks, including Ardagh Glass Packaging’s 35 glass production facilities in 12 countries.

Globalization in the container glass industry

  • Ardagh Glass Packaging generated $2.738 billion in Europe and Africa and $1.494 billion in North America in 2024.[17]
  • Vetropack generated CHF304.8 million of 2024 net sales from Switzerland and Austria and CHF182.7 million from Croatia.[16]
  • Vetropack had eight glassworks and sales or distribution locations in nine European countries in 2024.[31]
  • 16 billion glass bottles and jars were produced for 10,000 customers across Verallia’s international network in 2024.[9]
  • 60 metal and glass production facilities operated in 16 countries, generating approximately $9.1 billion in sales in 2024 at Ardagh Group.[17]

Cultural adaptation in the container glass industry

  • Vetropack supplied approximately 1,700 food and beverage customers, primarily located within an average 400-kilometre radius of its glassworks in 2024.[16]
  • Verallia supplied customers ranging from local family producers to major international brands across 12 countries in 2024.[9]
  • Vetropack offered more than 2,500 different glass-container designs, including customised packaging, to serve regional customer requirements in 2024.[16]
  • Verallia operated 6 decoration plants in 2024, supporting market-specific branding and customised glass-packaging solutions.[9]
  • Verallia supplied 10,000 customers in 2024, spanning local producers and major international brands across beverage and food markets.[9]

Supplier management in the container glass industry

  • 92.69% of Frigoglass glass-input spending was locally sourced in 2024, while 7.31% was imported.[55]
  • 84.59% of Frigoglass crown-related spending was imported in 2024, compared with 15.41% sourced locally.[55]
  • Frigoglass allocated 12.6% of total Group supplier spending to its Glass Containers business in 2024.[55]
  • 71.5% of Frigoglass Glass Containers procurement spending came from local suppliers in 2024.[55]
  • Frigoglass sourced 51% of materials locally for its Glass Containers business in 2023.[55]

Stakeholder management in the container glass industry

  • Vetropack employed 3,585 people across its glass-packaging operations in 2024.[31]
  • Vetropack reported 7 critical product complaints in 2024, compared with 8 in 2023.[16]
  • Ardagh employed approximately 20,000 people across its global metal and glass packaging operations in 2024.[17]
  • Vetropack supplied approximately 1,700 food and beverage customers in 2024 through its business-to-business model.[16]
  • Verallia supplied 10,000 customers in 2024, from local family producers to major international brands.[9]

Distribution channels in the container glass industry

  • O-I Glass sold most glass-container products directly to customers under annual or multi-year supply agreements in 2024.[8]
  • More than 50% of European glass bottles and jars were delivered within 300 kilometres of customers, according to a European industry assessment.[56]
  • Vetropack’s glassworks served customers within a maximum delivery radius of 400 kilometres in 2024.[16]
  • Slightly less than two-thirds of U.S. glass-container producers’ shipments went to alcoholic-beverage manufacturers during 2016–2018.[30]
  • O-I Glass also sold some glass-container products through distributors in 2024.[8]

Key questions about the Container Glass Industry

What is the container-glass market size in 2025 and the forecast for 2026?
The global glass packaging market was valued at $69.83 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $72.69 billion in 2026.
How fast is the market expected to grow from 2026 to 2034?
The global market is projected to reach $102.62 billion by 2034 with a 4.41% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2034.
Which companies lead the container glass industry?
Stoelzle Glass Group and Gerresheimer are tied at the top of Gitnux's 2026 container glass ranking with an Overall score of 9.0 each.
Which technology shifts show up most clearly in container-glass operations?
Industry reporting cites AI adoption for quality inspection and defect detection, plus AI for production planning and scheduling, and AI for supply-chain optimization in 2025.
How concentrated is customer demand and what pricing patterns show up?
O-I Glass reported that one customer accounted for approximately 10% of consolidated sales in 2025. It also reported broadly stable average selling prices in 2025, with regional divergence.
What recycling and reuse targets shape container-glass requirements in Europe?
EU Regulation 2025/40 retains a 70% recycling target for glass packaging for 2025 and raises it to 75% for 2030, with binding reuse targets and mandatory deposit-return systems.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Container Glass Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/container-glass-industry-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Container Glass Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/container-glass-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Container Glass Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/container-glass-industry-statistics.

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