The beverage industry is the third largest industry in the food and beverage industry and is characterized by strong changes in consumer behavior. Due to the increasing relevance of sustainability, consumers are more and more interested in the origin and the environmental friendliness of the product packaging. Nowadays, there are several ways to package beverages in a safe and sustainable way. Today, in this blog post, we will show you which packaging options are available for your beverages in Germany.
What are the packaging options for beverages?
In general, the packaging options for beverages can be divided into 2 categories: Disposable and reusable. Disposable is not returned to the manufacturer and is therefore recycled only once by the original manufacturer. But beware, this does not mean that disposable cannot be recycled. We have summarized for you the most important tips on how you can also make disposable packaging most sustainable.
Reusable, on the other hand, means that the packaging is taken back by the manufacturer and reused.
In Germany, most beverages are found in disposable packaging: In 2018, a total of 57% of all beverage packaging was single-use, followed by 41% reusable and 2% ecologically beneficial single-use packaging (such as beverage cartons for milk)(Umweltbundesamt, 2020).
Which packaging is "disposable"?
The disposable beverage packaging division consists of various products, which primarily includes beverage cartons, stand-up pouches, disposable glass bottles, disposable plastic bottles, beverage cans, plastic cups and bag-in-box. Today, we take a closer look at the two most commonly used disposable packaging products:
What is meant by "disposable plastic bottles"?
Disposable plastic bottle, also called single-use plastic bottle, is a single-use bottle made of plastic, mostly PET. It is most commonly used for beverage packaging purposes, especially for water and soft drinks. Even though plastic bottles are collected centrally, there is no complete recycling process in Germany. This means that for every beverage filled, a new package is produced.
What are "beverage cans"?
Beverage cans are made of either aluminum or tinplate. The inner side of the cans is coated so that the consumer does not come into contact with the metal. In Germany, mainly alcoholic mixed drinks are packaged in beverage cans, but trendy beverages such as kombucha or cold coffee drinks can now also be found in cans.
What is "reusable"?
In general, reusable means that the packaging is reused. The most commonly used reusable packaging is glass bottles and plastic bottles. In addition to these variants, kegs up to 10 liters ("keg barrels"), e.g. for industrial filling and storage of beverages in the catering industry, also belong to this category. Today we will learn more about the two most used materials:
What are "returnable glass bottles"?
The reusable glass bottle is the second most used packaging material for beverages in Germany after the disposable plastic bottle. Alongside the disposable plastic bottle, the returnable glass bottle is an environmentally friendly alternative, as returnable bottles can be recycled up to 50x (in comparison: returnable plastic bottles can be recycled up to 25x). Beer is most commonly sold in returnable glass bottles.
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What about "returnable plastic bottles"?
In addition to glass bottles, plastic bottles, also known as PET bottles, also play a major role, as they make up the second-largest share in the area of returnable bottles. PET bottles, as already mentioned, can be recycled less often than returnable glass bottles because the material is not as robust as glass. The recycling process of returnable plastic bottles consumes energy, but is still more environmentally friendly than single-use bottles, as single-use bottles are not reused and are melted down directly.
So there are several ways to package your beverages safely and sustainably: from single-use to reusable. The next step in your packaging planning process is label design, which we described in the blog post "Checklist for your bottle labels".
We hope we were able to offer you some relevant insights into the big topic of beverage packaging. Want to learn more about the topic? Just drop us a line via email at hello@palamo.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Dein Palamo Team <3
