Sales of container glass in Germany in Q1 of this year have decreased.
Around 929,000 tonnes of container glass were sold in the country, down 3.4% compared to the previous year.
Both domestic and foreign sales declined.
Sales in the beverage bottles segment further dropped by 5%, with all sub-segments decreasing.
Both alcoholic segments also recorded a decline in sales.
Beer and spirits decreased by 1.1%, while wine and sparkling wine sales dropped by 8.6%.
Furthermore, the non-alcoholic segment, which includes water, milk and juice, decreased by 5.4%.
However, sales of glass packaging for the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics segment remained stable in the first quarter.
Similarly, sales of glass packaging for food with oil, gourmet products, and sauces (OGS) recorded growth of 2.6% from the previous year.
On the other hand, sales of glass packaging for food without OGS, which includes fruit, vegetables, and canned food, fell by 1.7%.
Dorothée Richardt, spokesperson for the Glass Packaging Action Forum, said: “The sales trend in the beverage bottle segment shows that the container glass market has not yet recovered.
“Additional regulatory burdens in important customer industries could further exacerbate the tense situation.
“This also includes the planned increase in excise duty on sparkling wine and spirits.
“Falling sales affect not only the producers, but the entire value chain - from producers to suppliers such as the glass industry.
“Further fiscal burdens can exacerbate declines in demand.
“It is therefore important to carefully weigh up the impact on the entire supply chain and to check whether the expected benefits of the measure are proportionate to the economic burdens.”
