Survey Shows European Consumers Prefer Glass Packaging
The results of a survey of 6,200 Europeans from 12 countries are in, and 74 percent showed a preference for glass packaging for food and beverage products because it “preserves taste and protects against contamination.”
The survey, conducted by the Federation of European Glass (FEVE), also found that 82 percent of Europeans are active glass recyclers, while 90 percent knew that it was infinitely recyclable.
The FEVE survey found that 82 percent of Europeans are active glass recyclers. Photo: Greenstarkville.org
There is now talk that European juice and milk companies will switch their packaging to glass bottles in order to meet consumer demand. Of those surveyed, 45 percent would prefer glass for juice packaging and 40 percent would prefer it for milk.
While the survey was conducted by a seemingly biased industry toward glass packaging, it is believed to be one of the most comprehensive studies conducted on European packaging. In the U.S., a survey of wineries found similar results, that glass packaging is preferred because of its ability to maintain flavor.
However, two environmental issues weighing against the usage of glass packaging are weight and recycling value:
- Glass bottles weigh more than metal or plastic, meaning they cost more to ship and have a higher transportation carbon footprint.
- Communities are not able to make as much money collecting glass as other forms of packaging, which means numerous programs do not recycle glass.
Nevertheless, FEVE is confident that these new findings will shift consumer demand for glass. According to FEVE President Dominique Tombeur, “Consumer awareness of environmental and health issues point to us being able to regain a share of the marketplace.”
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j.knights
posted on April 22nd, 2009 at 3:29 am
This is an independent study to show that some of what you say is wrong. It was not commissioned by the glass industry but was an independent study and can be found on the WRAP site:
The Carbon Impact of Wine Packaged in PET and Glass
An independent report by Best Foot Forward, commissioned by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), was published on 13 March 2008 providing the results of the first UK study into the carbon impact of bottling wine in the UK in glass and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.
The study compared the carbon impact of 75cl glass and PET wine bottles:
PET bottle of 45g with 0% recycled content
Typical glass bottle of 496g with 81% recycled content
A lightweighted glass bottle of 365g with 81% recycled content
The study of the manufacturing and transportation ‘life’ of the two types of bottles shows that lightweighted glass bottles with a high recycled content produces broadly the same amount of greenhouse gas as the much lighter PET bottle. This is because the higher CO2 emissions arising from the manufacture of PET bottles offsets much of the savings obtained from its lower weight. For both glass and PET bottles it also showed that incorporating recycled content also decreases greenhouse gas emissions.
Two other scenario comparisons are also made in the full report: that of a 365g glass bottle with 92% recycled content and PET bottles with 50% and 100% recycled content. In both these scenarios, excluding or including end-of-life, the emissions attributed to the 54g PET bottle lie within the range of emissions attributable to the 365g glass bottle.
Rebecca Cocking, Recycling Manager of British Glass, said in response to the report: “We are very encouraged by the findings of this independent report which may help dispel some of the unfavourable criticism that glass packaging is receiving currently with regard to its weight. We are pleased to know that all the efforts the glass industry has made to reduce its carbon footprint are being successful in terms of both recycling and lightweighting.
“All glass bottles have a significant amount of recycled content, on average over 60% in glass packaging sold in the UK, and therefore could easily meet the levels suggested in the study so long as good quality cullet is obtained from the consumer waste stream.”
“And of course, glass is the consumers’ choice for quality; they like its visual appeal and its feel. Glass is pure, inert, protects its contents so well it allows a long shelf life while keeping its products fresh and does not feature in the debate over ‘excess packaging’.”