European Glass Packaging Industry Is Back on Its Feet

Many of us look at Europe right now and see a continent on the verge of an economic mudslide. But good news is always welcome news: recently, the European Container Glass Federation, or FEVE, heralded the official resurgence of the EU’s glass packaging industry. The report from early July showed that – despite the tough times – overall production was on the upswing for glass packaging’s largest producers.

While Italy’s glass packaging manufacturing sector only increased a modest 1.8%, France’s total output for 2011 rose by a full 5%. Turkey’s also increased an equivalent 5%. As for Germany, the economic powerhouse of the European Union, total glass packaging production skyrocketed by a full 7% from the previous year. All in all, the making of glass packaging increased by 4% across the continent. Not only do the French, Turkish, and German figures suggest that the packaging industry in these countries has risen back to pre-recession levels, but they suggest that a lot of European export industries, specifically those depending on glass packaging for their products – perfumery, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals – are back on the up and up.

While certain sectors in the EU economy are still very much a mess – real estate and financial sectors in particular – it goes to show that the picture is much more complicated than many would give it credit.

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