95% of British people aged 25 and under (Generation Z) prefer glass packaging over plastic, according to research commissioned by British Glass. 98% want to reduce the amount of plastic in their homes, and respondents across all age groups indicated that several food and drink products taste better in glass packaging rather than plastic, with beer, milk, soft drinks, and jam being voted as better in glass.
According to the results of British Glass’ poll, the top foods that consumers said taste better in glass packaging are:
1. Jam (57%)
2. Beer (54%)
3. Milk (51%)
4. Soft drinks (50%)
5. Water (44%)
The research has been conducted during the UN’s International Year of Glass (2022), which exists to promote the essential role of glass in society. To celebrate glass and its role as packaging for the past, present and future, British Glass has created a promotional film, This is Glass, positioning glass as though it were a new-found material, in a bid to showcase its qualities. The video highlights that if glass were discovered today, it’d be a disruptive packaging material, reducing the amount of plastic used for many items in our homes.
Dave Dalton, chief executive of British Glass, said: “We often find that consumers are wanting to move towards a more sustainable packaging solution than plastic, but alternative options can be slow to market and riddled with confusion about recycling and composting. At British Glass, we firmly believe that glass has a role to play as an alternative.
“Our This is Glass video encapsulates how versatile and ground-breaking glass really is. If it was discovered today, it would be viewed as a ground-breaking material, and we wanted to create a moment to remind business and consumers of the benefits of glass.
The UN International Year of Glass is a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate all things glass this year and the contribution it has to make society a better place, creating a platform for it to continue this role into the future.”
