The Glass Hallmark, a new symbol for protection of health and the environment

The European container glass industry, represented by the federation FEVE, is launching a new hallmark that manufacturers will be able to display on their packaging to communicate the health and environmental benefits of glass.

At an online event held as part of the European Week for Waste Reduction, the Brussels-based European container glass federation FEVE officially presented the new glass hallmark designed to highlight the environmental and health benefits of choosing products packaged in glass (particularly food and beverage, pharma, perfumes and cosmetics).

The new hallmark is the result of a collaborative year-long effort between industry, designers, customers and consumers to create a recognisable symbol of the qualities of glass containers, namely food safety, protection from micro-organisms, sterilisability, perfect conservation of liquids and food, and complete recyclability, in other words the ability to be reused endlessly without deterioration. Each element in the logo symbolises the commitment to a sustainable future made when we choose glass packaging.

“Health has become a major priority for citizens during the difficult period of the pandemic, and food safety plays a particularly important role,” explains Marco Ravasi, Chairman of Assovetro’s glass containers section. “We therefore welcome this hallmark, which provides immediate visual reassurance of the integrity of foods packaged in glass while highlighting the environmental benefits of the material and its ability to be fully recycled in an endless loop.”

A popular material with consumers

The new glass hallmark launch follows a survey of 10,000 European consumers across 13 countries carried out by market researcher InSites Consulting. The findings demonstrate that more than 9 out of 10 Europeans (91%) consider glass to be the safest, healthiest and most environmentally friendly form of food and drink packaging (+11% compared to 2016), while in Italy the percentage is as high as 96%. This perception is increasingly guiding purchasing decisions: 42% of consumers buy more products in glass because they consider it can be recycled more than other packaging; 33% consider glass better at preventing food contamination and preserving health; 31% consider glass to give a strong health safety feeling; and 30% choose glass because it causes less littering of containers into the natural environment. But despite consumer desire to purchase more products in glass, the main barrier to greater uptake (cited by 27% of respondents) is that their preferred brands are often not available in glass packaging.

Reaffirming a commitment to sustainability

The new hallmark design is the latest in a number of collaborative sustainability initiatives from the glass industry, including June’s launch of ‘Close the Glass Loop’, a major material stewardship programme which connects the entire European glass packaging ecosystem to boost bottle-to-bottle recycling and separate waste collection..