Europe Glass Packaging Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Europe Glass Packaging Market Trends and Insights

EU Packaging and Packaging-Waste Regulation Accelerates Infinitely Recyclable Glass Adoption

The PPWR stipulates that every packaging format sold in the bloc be deemed recyclable by 2030, and its proposed fee modulation will penalize composite structures while rewarding mono-material containers such as glass. Glass already enjoys collection rates exceeding 80% across most member states, with Italy surpassing 90% in 2023, and unlike polymeric substitutes, it does not down-cycle during repeated loops. PFAS restrictions on food-contact surfaces introduce further compliance hurdles for plastic and multilayer laminates, reinforcing glass as the low-risk alternative. The regulation’s 10% reuse target for beverage containers by 2030 also underpins refillable glass growth, particularly in countries extending deposit-return schemes.

Premiumisation in Beverages and Cosmetics Boosts Design-Rich Demand

Luxury brands highlight glass aesthetics and tactile weight to signal authenticity and justify premium price points, as illustrated by Bienaimé’s EUR 160 Monsieur eau de parfum packaged in a custom flacon from Waltersperger. Spirits bottlers, craft breweries, and boutique wineries adopt intricate embossing, unique hues, and recycled glass blends to satisfy consumer desires for premium yet sustainable experiences.^{[2]Bienaimé Launch Coverage, formesdeluxe.com} Cosmetics players such as SGD Pharma now supply flint bottles containing 20% post-consumer cullet, enabling high-end brands to market lower Scope 3 profiles without sacrificing clarity. Premiumisation resists economic slowdowns because target shoppers prioritize perceived quality and sustainability over unit price.

Consumer Preference for Inert, Micro-Plastic-Free Containers Strengthens Loyalty

Survey research confirms that European shoppers perceive glass as the safest and most eco-friendly option and favor brands offering recyclable packaging. A qualitative Kano-model analysis of beverage buyers in Germany identifies recyclability as a must-have trigger and reusable formats as delight factors that stimulate repeat purchases. Rising concern about microplastics in the food chain pushes wellness-minded millennials and Gen Z consumers toward glass. Once these cohorts associate brand purity with inert packaging, they tend to show low switching propensity, translating into higher customer lifetime value for producers using glass.

Industry Shift to Hybrid and Electric Furnaces Protects Licence to Operate

Energy accounts for as much as 25% of the container-glass cost of goods. Verallia commissioned a 100% electric furnace in Cognac that cuts CO₂ emissions by 60% and insulates the plant from volatile gas prices. O-I is spending USD 65 million at Veauche in France to install electric boosting and oxy-fuel systems that trim fossil demand and improve cullet melt rates. The European Container Glass Federation urges accelerated grid upgrades so manufacturers can source renewable power at scale, underscoring how access to green energy is fast becoming a competitive differentiator.

Lightweight Aluminium and PET Gain Share Through Logistics Edge

Ardagh Metal Packaging’s European unit grew 6% to USD 2.16 billion revenue in 2024, behind demand for light cans whose superior cube and weight efficiency reduces freight cost per unit, appealing to price-sensitive beverage fillers. Wine producers report that 31% have migrated part of their portfolio to bag-in-box or PET to shave transport emissions and freight bills, trends pronounced in Eastern Europe, where the distance to retail hubs is larger and fuel cost pass-through is limited.

Volatile Energy Prices Squeeze Melting Margins and Production Economics

German manufacturers saw sector revenue drop 3.1% to EUR 12.28 billion in 2024 as natural-gas prices averaged four times their pre-crisis level, triggering temporary furnace shutdowns and capacity rationalisation. O-I’s “Fit to Win” program involves closing six furnaces within three quarters to prune high-cost assets and preserve cash flow. Persistent volatility clouds capital-expenditure planning and threatens the competitiveness of smaller regional players that lack financing capacity for electrification.

Segment Analysis

By Product: Bottles Dominate While Vials Accelerate

The European glass packaging market size tied to Bottles/Containers stood at USD 15.0 billion in 2024, equal to 66.71% of the total value. Mature beverage and food channels sustain their baseline demand, but margins compress as customers demand lightweight options. Vials, Ampoules, and Syringes together form a smaller pool but grow at 4.43% CAGR on the back of biologics, GLP-1 therapies, and a strong pipeline of parenteral drugs. The European glass packaging market share for Vials will gradually expand as capacity additions by Gerresheimer and SGD Pharma come online, supported by stringent ISO 15378 quality specifications. 

Pharmaceutical buyers accept higher unit prices for dimensional accuracy, delamination resistance, and traceability, driving multi-year supply agreements that reduce revenue volatility for producers. Innovations such as SCHOTT’s Velocity Vials, manufactured from Type I borosilicate tubing, increase filling-line speeds and reduce cosmetic defects, sharpening the competitive edge of specialty suppliers.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Glass Type: Soda-Lime Dominates, Borosilicate Scales Up

Type III soda-lime captured 58.15% of the Europe glass packaging market share in 2024 because its cost profile aligns with mass beverages and food jars. Nevertheless, Type I borosilicate is projected to expand at a 4.67% CAGR given the pharmaceutical sector’s uncompromising purity standards. The Europe glass packaging market size tied to Type I borosilicate is forecast to crest USD 6.4 billion by 2030, aided by regulatory momentum around advanced biologics. 

Borosilicate manufacture demands tighter furnace temperature control and higher raw-material purity. Producers invest in all-electric furnaces to secure a more stable heat curve while cutting CO₂ output. ISO-based audit trails and pharmacopoeia conformity requirements serve as entry barriers that shield established vendors from price-led competition.

By End-User: Beverages Rule Volume, Pharma Leads Growth

Alcoholic Beverages generated 53.87% of 2024 revenue, cementing glass as the default for premium wine and spirits thanks to its perceived heritage and inertness. However, beverage glass volume growth is now limited by younger consumers who experiment with canned cocktails and boxed wines. Pharmaceutical applications, less than one-tenth of volume, deliver superior profitability and are set to outpace other segments at 4.62% CAGR. 

Demand is driven by biologics, diabetes injectables, and mRNA pipelines that need multidose or ready-to-fill syringes. In response, Gerresheimer acquired Bormioli Pharma for EUR 800 million to secure additional molding lines and ISO-compliant cleanrooms, signalling that large players continue reallocating capital toward healthcare niches.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Capacity Range: Mid-Volumes Lead, Small Formats Surge

Containers sized 100-500 ml represented 38.13% of revenue in 2024, aligning with single-serve craft beers, spirits, and gourmet sauces. Lightweight redesigns such as Ardagh’s 300-gram wine bottle illustrate how producers defend this core against PET and aluminium by cutting transport weight while retaining glass aesthetics. 

Sub-30 ml formats, chiefly pharmaceutical vials and serum droppers, will rise fastest at 4.23% CAGR. Investments in tubing lines and annealing stations improve tight-tolerance yield. Regulatory shifts toward personalized dosing and home care therapies further amplify demand for unit-dose vials and syringes.

Geography Analysis

Western Europe controls more than two-thirds of the European glass packaging market, anchored by Germany, France, and Italy. Germany produced 7.86 million tonnes of container glass in 2024, worth USD 13.6 billion, despite a marginal revenue decline tied to energy inflation BVSE.DE. France remains pivotal for wine and Cognac bottle production and now hosts Verallia’s first all-electric furnace that pilots decarbonised melting at an industrial scale. Italy gained an extra 225,000-tonne capacity through Verallia’s acquisition of Vidrala’s Corsico plant, reinforcing its stature in premium food, beer, and sparkling wine bottles.^{[3]Greg Morris, “Verallia Completes Vidrala Italy Acquisition,” glass-international.com} Spain leverages export-led wineries to keep furnaces at high utilization, while Ardagh’s hybrid installations balance energy risk. 

Northern Europe sets the recycling benchmark with collection rates above 85%. Early adoption of deposit-return schemes in Denmark and Sweden supports refillable system economics and emboldens retailers to upscale glass shelf space. Belgium will add 1,300 tonnes per day of capacity by 2027 once Ciner Glass completes its USD 544 million plant in Lommel, underscoring continued greenfield appetite near key demand corridors. 

Eastern Europe, led by Poland and Hungary, supplies cost-competitive bottles for Western brands but endures sharper margin erosion during energy spikes because unit prices are lower and freight distances longer. SCHOTT Pharma’s Hungarian syringe expansion illustrates how pharma-grade demand is shifting east in search of subsidy support and newer infrastructure.