Who is the largest glass bottle manufacturer?

The QVF® competence center in Mainz/Germany of De Dietrich Process Systems is well-known for its unique ability to manufacture equipment made of borosilicate glass 3.3 up to a nominal diameter of DN1000 for the chemical industry. This time we took advantage of our ability to produce the probably biggest glass bottle in world:

• Nominal width :   DN1000
• Height:               298 cm
• Bottle neck:        DN300
• Nominal volume: 1700 l
• Dry weight:         370 kg

This glass component is a master stroke and was due to its extreme size also a challenge for our entire workshop in Mainz. It is even bigger than the wine bottle we made in 1993 for an exhibition in Saint-Cloud, France.

The bottle DN1000 was certified by the German Records Institute   as the "World's biggest glass bottle" and is about to be entered in the GUINNESS-Book of Records.

As the glass bottle is made of the same borosilicate 3.3 glass approved by the European Pressure Equipment Directive and used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, the bottle easily resists to the hydrostatic pressure generated when it is completely filled, for example with wine.

The glass bottle was presented to the public on March 16, 2017 to the reopening after renovation of the famous China restaurant "Engel Wang Fu" in Lustenau, Vorarlberg in Austria. Together with Pfanner & Gutmann Getränke GmbH, the winemaker Keringer from Mönchhof in Burgenland has completely filled the bottle with his red wine "Keringers 100-Days-Zweigelt 2015". The bottle was closed with a gold plated  genuine cork and sealed with wax. The air-conditioned glass cabinet is ideal for presenting the wine bottle and storing it at 16 ° C. The arrival, installation, preparation and filling of the glass bottle in the "Angel Wang Fu" restaurant is shown here.

With the growing demand from the food & beverages and personal care & cosmetics industries, the glass packaging industry is anticipated to grow during the forecast period. The rise in demand for the product for safe and healthy packaging solutions is one of the key factors responsible for propelling the market growth.

As per a report by Fortune Business Insights™, the market for glass packaging is projected to grow from USD 62.95 billion in 2022 to USD 86.54 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period. The market is expected to reach the valuation of USD 64.97 billion in 2023.

Fortune Business Insights™ Profiles Top 10 Key Players/Companies of Glass Packaging 

1. Ardagh Group S.A

The company was founded in 1932, headquartered in Luxembourg. It is a producer of metal and glass packaging products. Ardagh has 65 metal and glass production facilities in 16 countries. The company yields advanced and unique glass packaging in all shapes and sizes for brand owners globally and compromises a choice of almost 20 colors.

• In November 2022, Ardagh Glass Packaging in Limmared, a subsidiary of Ardagh Group, in an agreement with Absolut Vodka decided to replace 20% of its natural gas with green hydrogen to manufacture all of Absolut’s bottles.

2. Verallia

The company was established in 1827 and is headquartered in France. The company is the third-largest glass packaging manufacturer for food and beverage products globally. With four décor plants, 34 glass plants, and nine cullet (glassware) processing centers in 12 countries, Verallia manufactures 16 billion glass bottles and jars annually to supply 10,000 companies.

• In November 2022, Verallia, in an agreement with Sun European Partners LLP, acquired Allied Glass in the U.K. Under this acquisition, Verallia will benefit from Allied’s expertise in premium glass bottles, specifically in the gin and scotch whisky sectors.

3. Owens-Illinois Inc.

The company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Ohio. Owens-Illinois is one of the world’s leading glass packaging manufacturers. The company has a presence in more than 20 countries globally.

• In July 2022, Owens-Illinois Inc. built a new greenfield glass plant in Bowling Green, KY. The company provides its support to customers with brand-building premium glass containers toward recyclable, healthy, and sustainable food and beverage packaging.

4. Vetropack Group

The company was established in 1911. It is headquartered in Bulach, Schweiz. The company provides around 2,500 glass containers to preserve food and beverage items safely. Moreover, despite eight standard glass bottle shades, the company offers customized individual color shades on customer request.

• In November 2022, The Vetropack Group invested in a new plant for the traditionally noteworthy Italian marketplace. Production is expected to jump in Boffalora Sopra Ticino near Milan in 2023.

5. AGI Glasspack Ltd

The company is known to manufacture high-quality glass containers to meet the demanding and stringent standards for the packaging requirements of food, soft drinks, wine, pharmaceuticals, spirits, beer, and other industries. The product range varies from a small 5 ml pharma bottle to a 4,000 ml chemical/food jar.

• In March 2021, AGI Glaspack made an investment of USD 6.7 billion to construct a new furnace of 154 TPD AGI specialty glass division for the company’s Bhongir plant in Telangana. The high-quality specialty glass will provide to pharmaceuticals, carbonated water, cosmetics, and sparkling wine industries.

6. Vitro SAB

The company was founded in 1909 and headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico. It distributes, produces, and markets a wide range of glass articles, which is said to be part of people’s life in about 34 countries in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The company produces innovative glass solutions and value for customers and communities and regularly improves operations and processes with new ideas to advance results.

• In October 2021, Vitro, to build a new container furnace, has declared an investment in Toluca, State of Mexico, of approximately USD 70 million. The new furnace will support its customers with additional capacity and their growing requirements for glass containers.

7. Bormioli Rocco

The company was founded in 1825 and is headquartered in Italy. It is one of the world’s largest suppliers of glassware and tableware. The company has nine stores, two decorative ateliers, nine plants, and one flagship store, with presence in over 100 countries and over 2,500 employees.

• In July 2021, several companies, including Bormioli Luigi, Snam, Bormioli Rocco, RINA, Universita Degli Studi di Genova, STARA GLASS, Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro, SGRPRO, IFRF Italia, and RJC SOFT in a collaboration targeted at reducing emissions in the glass industry through hydrogen. It reduces 50% of energy consumption throughout the production process.

8. Stoelzle Glass Group

The company was founded in 1805 and is headquartered in Styria. It is an Austrian multinational manufacturer of glassware. It produces glass that is mostly used for perfumery & cosmetics, pharma, tableware, food & drinks, and laboratory supplies. It has five European plants and a production site in the U.S.

• In September 2022, Stoelzle has set up an energy management system with Siemens to reduce energy consumption by 20% and reduce carbon emissions by half by 2030. During the introduction of the system, more than 1,800 data points have been installed, mainly in energy-intensive areas, such as furnaces, annealing lehrs, feeders, and records, to acquire, evaluate, and visualize data.

9. Gerresheimer AG

The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Germany. It manufactures primary packaging products for food & beverages with plastic packaging and glass packaging solutions, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Glass ampoules, pharmaceutical services, and glass cartridges are some other products that the company manufactures. The company has sites for production operations in the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

• In September 2022, Stevanato Group and Gerresheimer AG declared a collaboration on developing the Ready-To-Use Vial platform for the pharmaceutical industry. It led the sterilization method and production process method, confirming consistently available capacity and reliable double sourcing to the pharmaceutical industry.

10. Orora Packaging Ltd.

Orora Packaging is a global leader in flexible packaging, mainly in the U.S., Latin America, and Canada. It is also famous as Canada’s largest printer. For over 45 years, the company’s story has been one of the transformative and innovative forms to meet its customers’ evolving needs.

• In May 2022, Orora Packaging received a grant from the federal government to progress Australia’s first oxygen fueled furnace project in Gawler, South Australia. The main objective of the furnace is to meet consumers’ rising demand for recycled and sustainable packaging and support wine industry customers to be competitive in their export markets.

Increasing Demand from the Beverage Industry to Augment the Market to Create a Way Ahead

The increasing demand from the beverage industry is anticipated to grow the market for glass packaging. In countries, such as India, the liquor industry drives the demand for the product in the region. Furthermore, as the material delivers substantial benefits such as visibility and impermeability, the food and beverages industry uses it on a large scale. Moreover, the recycling of glass is rapidly increasing and propelling the competition amongst the top glass packaging companies.