Main glass sectors
MAP OF ALL GLASS PLANTS : you can select per glass sector
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The glass industries comprise five sectors covering different glass products, applications and markets. They are each represented at EU level by a specific association.
Container glass
Container glass is the largest sector of the EU glass industries and accounts for some 62% of the total EU glass production.
The European container glass industry provides a wide range of glass packaging products for food and beverages as well flacons for perfumery, cosmetics and pharmacy to a European and world-wide customer base.
With its 160 manufacturing plants distributed all over Europe it is an important contributor to Europe’s real economy and provides direct employment to about 50,000 people, while creating a large number of job opportunities along the total supply chain.
For more information on the container glass sector please visit FEVE website.
Building, automotive, solar-energy glass (flat glass)
The flat glass sector is the second largest sector of the European glass industries and represents about 29% of the total EU glass production. The main markets for flat glass are the building (windows and facades) and automotive industries (windscreens, side and rear-side glazing, backlights and sunroofs). Flat glass is also used in solar-energy applications (photovoltaic and solar thermal panels) as well as in urban and domestic furniture, appliances, mirrors and greenhouses.
Flat glass is manufactured in Europe by 7 companies operating some 50 float plants. Float plants are the biggest glass manufacturing sites with production capacities of up to 850 tonnes of melted glass per day. The sector directly employs approximately 15.000 people in glass making and many more in downstream treatments (automotive glass processing, glazing, etc.).
Float lines Europe
For more information on the flat glass sector please visit Glass for Europe website.
Continuous-filament glass fibre
The production of continuous filament glass fibre (CFCG) is one of the smallest sectors of the glass industry in terms of tonnage (2%) although the products have a relatively high value to mass ratio.
Continuous filament glass fibre is mainly used for the production of composite materials as weight-lightening reinforcement component. Continuous filament glass fibre applications are known as fibre-reinforced polymers or glass-reinforced plastics. The sector covers applications ranging from the automotive and transportation sector (such as aircrafts) to wind energy, agriculture, construction, communication, electrical and electronic as well as sport and leisure.
In tonnage, CFCG represents more than 80% of all reinforcement fibres used in composite worldwide. Approximately 5.000 people are directly employed by the European glass fibre manufacturers.
GlassFibreEurope member company sites today, closed sites and newly developed sites
For more information on continuous filament glass fibre please visit Glass Fibre Europe website.
Domestic glass
The domestic glass sector accounts for about 4% of the total European glass production. This sector comprises the manufacturing of glass tableware, cookware and decorative items such as drinking glasses, bowls, plates, cookware, vases and ornaments. Domestic glass is manufactured by more than 300 facilities, mainly SMEs, which are spread throughout Europe.
For more information on domestic glass please contact EDG/ICF secretariat at info@glassallianceeurope.eu
Special glass
Special glasses represent approximately 3% of the glass production in Europe. These products have a high added-value linked to their intense technological content. This sector regroups a large range of products such as lighting glass, glass tubes, laboratory glassware, glass ceramics, heat-resistant glass, optical and ophthalmic glass, extra thin glass for the electronics industry (e.g. LCD panels, photovoltaics) and radiation protection glasses.
For more information on special glass please contact ESGA secretariat at info@glassallianceeurope.eu
