Packaging material since time immemorial, versatile, airtight and watertight, glass tends to have been progressively replaced by plastic for many uses, in particular bottles. And yet, in the face of increasingly pressing environmental concerns, glass is making a strong comeback in the packaging industry.

Glass on the upturn

With a sum total of 110 glass-making companies in France, glass is the least-represented material among packaging manufacturers. Nevertheless, the glass industry ranks third in terms of turnover in the sector, at €4,7 billion in 2018, behind cardboard and plastic. It is also the branch with the highest added value rate in the sector, accounting for 37.8% of the end value of the packaging produced by a company, compared to an average of 26% for other packaging materials. And, with 13.8% of the workforce in packaging, it remains the 3rd-largest employer in the sector.

Even if the fragility of glass excludes it from certain types of packaging, in particular secondary or tertiary, its other qualities make it exceptionally versatile and usable in many industries: agri-food, beauty, medical, etc. Thanks to its low-level ecological impact, its easy recycling and its capacity for reuse, glass is on the crest of a wave and is the strongest growing of all packaging materials (+5.1%).

Source : Observatoire compétence industrie 2020


A slot to be filled?

Consumers are increasingly attentive to the carbon footprint of the products they buy, and this includes the packaging. In parallel, the public authorities are busy organising ecological transition. These groundswell tendencies, which are deeply entrenched in today’s society, are leading the packaging industry to undergo its own environmental revolution. Glass could prove to be an efficient alternative in this context of climatic urgency. Indeed, 29% of the user industries participating in ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS intend to use glass for their packaging in 2024.

Source: Survey on the evolution of packaging materials conducted by ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS between April 11 and May 10, 2020 among 211 packaging decision makers


ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS supports you in presenting your glass solutions

By welcoming, from the industries that use packaging, visitors with decision-making roles (MDs, buyers, product managers, logistics directors, etc.), ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS is this year's go-to event for promoting your solutions and finding new customers. Thanks to a theme trail dedicated to glass, no professional concerned by your products could possibly miss you. You can also be proactive thanks to our matchmaking app, allowing you to get in touch with visitors who may potentially be interested by what you have to offer.

To guarantee you maximum visibility, the show makes available a set of tools that are particularly suited to alternative materials:

  • A list of new products, available on our website, on our app and in our catalogue, enabling you to communicate about the new offerings that you will be presenting at the show
  • ALL4PACK Innovations, a competition rewarding the best innovations presented at the show, for which you can register your own revolutionary solutions
  • A visitor pathway dedicated to glass packagings: visitors specifically seeking such materials will be able to find you easily at the exhibition
  • A matchmaking app, allowing you to identify and make a date with visitors likely to be interested by your solutions
  • A mediakit that will allow you to easily create custom banners to communicate efficiently on your participation

ALL4PACK EMBALLAGE PARIS, keen to support transformation in the packaging sector, is pulling out all the stops to make it easier for you to meet up with new customers, and to propose to these potential customers bespoke and innovative solutions for tackling the new challenges facing the sector today.

Source : Emballage magazine n°1012

The wood
The metal
Tin can

The metal

Highly resistant, impermeable to liquids and radiation, excellent for preserving and keeping safe the products it contains, metal is an extremely reliable material for packaging production. If we add to this its recyclability and reuse possibilities, metal truly does have a part to play in the future of packaging.
Plastic container

The plastic

Plastic remains the dominant material in the world of packaging, since it is safe, hygienic and convenient. Available in many forms, flexible or rigid, watertight and solid, plastic can be used for making all kinds of resistant packagings for a competitive cost. However, the rising tide of ecological concerns puts it in the firing line of consumers and authorities alike, and if it is to remain the flagship packaging material it must quickly adapt and make amends for its significant ecological impact. This is the new challenge for the plastics professionals.
Paper bag

Paper & cardboard

Cheap, easy to work with and highly appreciated for their ecological fibre, paper and cardboard are extensively used in packaging manufacture. Although the apparent fragility of paper and card may appear to impose limits on their use, consumer expectations concerning packaging do however confer on them a front-line role.