Chris Palmer, Aegg’s UK Sales Manager, takes a look at the importance of glass containers during the coronavirus pandemic.
The same is also true of glass packaging and containers, especially during Covid-19 times. Here are a few applications of glass packaging that are helping the nation through lockdown and beyond:
Hand Sanitiser
Some spirits manufacturers are utilising their existing machinery & componentry to fill hand sanitiser into bottles. The alcohol base of sanitiser is already on spirit producers’ premises, but other non-spirit glass ‘users’ are also turning their efforts towards production since the outbreak, with many selling at cost to keep businesses ticking over and contributing to local key worker causes. For example, Dorset-based Conker Spirit shifted distillery operations to large-scale production of hand sanitiser to supply the UK’s frontline.
Using glass for this purpose is a simple, readily available and durable packaging format, consisting of the glass container itself, closure and label. I have even seen beer bottles used for sanitiser recently!
Food & Beverage
Pasta Sauce and Jam Jars
There is currently a higher than ever demand for pasta, cooking sauces and jams. All are contained in glass jars. These fridge and shelf-ready stackable rigid packaging glass containers help to protect their long shelf life and the high-speed filling lines enable manufacturers to meet the high demand. Manufacturers are pulling out all the stops by creating extra shifts to meet the demand with some factories’ production lines open 24/7. At Aegg, we are able to support our food and drink customers’ needs by delivering additional supplies of glass food jars as well as glass drinks bottles and plastic dessert pots on demand, using our OWN flexible haulage fleet
Glass Drinks Bottles
Demand for glass milk bottles has been increasing since the end of last year. The lockdown has also meant that with supermarket delivery slots at a premium, milkmen’s doorstep deliveries in pint glass bottle format have risen over the last few weeks too, as detailed in this BBC article. Dairies are also looking to introduce larger 2L glass fridge packs.
Alcoholic Beverages
As well as increased milk bottle sales, off-trade alcoholic beverage sales have risen, with high demand for home delivery and internet bottle shop services, with many consumers citing that they are ideal morale boosters during lockdown.
So glass continues to play an extremely important part in our history, with the material proving its worth ten-fold during COVID-times and beyond.
For more information about Aegg’s glass jars and bottles for food and drink click here.
