Glass accounts for the bulk of packaging weight on the EU market.
A recent report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre estimated packaging materials, including glass, plastic, metal, and paper, placed on the market across 19 EU countries between 2011 and 2025.
Out of 98kg of packaging per capita in 2024, glass accounted for 75%.
The data also found that the amount of glass packaging fluctuated, declining in 2020 before stabilising again.
Alcoholic beverages, particularly beer and wine, accounted for the majority of glass packaging on the market, with 22.8 million tonnes of alcoholic beverage glass packaging placed on the market in 2024.
Glass contributed 32 million tonnes overall, with PET in second place at 3 million tonnes.
Beer bottles also contributed the largest volume of packaging across all materials, including plastics.
The JRC report updates an earlier methodology published in 2024, expanding its coverage beyond the food and beverage sector.
The 2026 report also estimates the mass of packaging materials placed on the market in EU Member States for home care, beauty and personal care, and pet food as well as food and beverage.
This covers roughly 75% of the European consumer packaging market.
