Ahead of Glassman Italy in Bologna, Greg Morris* discusses why the Italian container glass industry should utilise the ‘Made in Italy’ branding to capture new markets.
The Italian container glass manufacturing industry is a superpower: it is the second largest in Europe, employs 8000 people in direct roles plus about 30,000 people in indirect roles.
As well as the larger overseas headquartered companies such as O-I, Ardagh, Verallia and Vetropack, Italy has its own ‘local’ companies such as Bormioli, Zignago Vetro, Vetreria Etruscia, and Vetri Speciali, among others.
There are 39 container glass plants spread throughout Italy but with a higher concentration in the north.
We are all aware of the downturn which has impacted the entire hollow glass industry, particularly in Europe.
This has been reflected in recent glass production statistics in Italy.
According to Italian glass association Assovetro, combining the data from the four product sectors (bottles, jars, flacons, and household items), the production for hollow glass in 2024 was 4,302,000 million tonnes, a decrease of 3.3% compared to 2023.
It is well known that the younger generation are no longer drinking alcohol and this is reflected in the amount of glass for beers and wines now being produced.
There are actually quite a few solid reasons to be optimistic about the Italian container glass manufacturing sector – even with all the noise around energy costs, lower alcohol consumption, and restructuring.
Italy remains a global leader in wine, spirits, olive oil, tomato products and premium food. These categories strongly prefer glass for quality, protection, and image.
The trend for premiumisation works in Italy’s favour. People may now drink less – but they drink better.
Premium wine and spirits are far more glass-intensive, with generally, thicker, heavier and more decorative bottles for this segment.
In the cosmetics and perfumery sector, which is design-led and margin-rich, the segment is ideal for the Made in Italy brand.
Italy should capitalise on the Made in Italy branding because….it matters!
For many global brands, Italian glass stands for quality, Italian design equals credibility, while Italian supply stands for reliability.
So, despite the recent slowdowns, I am optimistic about the Italian container glass sector. Italy has a skilled glass workforce, a glass manufacturing heritage as well as a stable supplier ecosystem,
So, while alcohol headlines dominate – it is not the whole story.
Demand, rather than collapsing, is in fact diversifying. And the Made in Italy brand is one way of capturing new markets.
*Group Editor/Conference Director: Aluminium, Glass, and Furnaces.