Glass confirms itself as the material for packaging food preferred by 8 European consumers out of 10. The trend is detected by the research InSites commissioned by European Container Glass Federation (FEVE) for the consumer platform Friends of Glass.
The survey, conducted in 2022, involved more than 4,000 consumers in 13 European countries: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
The virtues of packaging in glass
Guiding three quarters of European consumers and 85% of Italians is the belief that glass is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, because it is fully recyclable, effectively recycled throughout Europe and safe once recycled.
Much appreciation is reflected in the numbers. Glass has been the only packaging material to have recorded, in the last 3 years, in the 13 countries considered by the research, an average growth of 8% (13% in Italy). Other packaging materials have faced a decline between 24 and 41%.
Glass is forever
Recyclability to infinity is a feature much appreciated by consumers, especially because it is free of risk of contaminant release, unlike plastic.
Among those interviewed,
- half declare they prefer glass precisely because of its perfect recyclability,
- 8 out of 10 say they ‘always’ or ‘often’ recycle their glass packaging and Italy, with 9 consumers out of 10, confirms itself as the most ‘recycling’ country, with a record recycling rate,
- 82% (86% in Italy) appreciate the easy understanding of the correct disposal of glass in separate collection. A clarity that instead is lacking in other packaging materials and will hopefully be resolved from 2023, with the entry into force of the new rules on environmental labeling of packaging.
Sustainability driver of purchases
According to the survey, health and product preservation are seen as a decisive factor in food and beverage purchases.
The sample interviewed demonstrates an evolved and broad understanding of the concept of sustainability:
- 6 out of 10 consumers consider the reduction of food waste, recycling, and health protection the key elements of sustainability (for Italians there is also the reduction of the use of non-biodegradable single-use plastic),
- over a third of the consumers interviewed declared choosing more glass because it is inert and because it keeps products safer and longer, thus reducing food waste.
The demand for sustainability is also directed at companies:
- 80% of respondents state that companies have the moral obligation to use packaging sustainable (85% in Italy),
- almost as many (78%) would like companies to put sustainability credentials on packaging (84% in Italy).
A packaged product in glass receives more trust by 65% of the sample and 70% of Italians.
The top-four of foods with glass packaging
In the ranking of preferred foods if packaged in glass include
- dairy products, with 65% of preferences at the European level (especially in Turkey and Austria),
- soft drinks, with 54% (especially in Turkey and the United Kingdom),
- sauces with 50% (Turkey and Poland at top)
- oil (especially in Spain) with 47%.
Wine and beer, Italians prefer glass
The top-four also true in Italy. But the Belpaese is first in Europe in choosing the glass-wine combination with 44% preferences against a European average of 32% (at the bottom of the ranking Switzerland with just 20% preferences). Packaging in glass bottles, moreover, resulted in one studio the best solution for preserving the organoleptic qualities of wine.
Same preference concerns beer. 42% of Italians prefer it in glass (34% is the European average). In total, about 6 out of 10 Italians prefer products packaged in glass.
Professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and magazines (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). Author of journalistic investigations on food, she published the book 'Reading labels to know what we eat'.
