SIC 3221 Glass Containers
SIC 3221
This category includes establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing glass containers for commercial packing and bottling, and for home canning. Products include ampoules; bottles, containers, jars, and jugs for packing, bottling, and canning; carboys; cosmetic jars; fruit jars; medicine bottles; packers' ware; vials; and water bottles.
327213
Glass Container Manufacturing
The U.S. glass container industry manufactures two basic types of containers: narrow neck and wide mouth containers. The industry further classifies containers by their end use, creating categories of glass designated for food, beverages, beer, liquor, and wine; chemical, household, and industrial uses; toiletries and cosmetics; and other uses including medicinal and health supplies. In 2003, the U.S. industry produced 35 billion glass containers, or 238.4 million gross, with a shipment value of $4.4 billion. More than 80 percent of the containers produced were narrow-neck bottles. Glass containers are most commonly clear, accounting for 50 percent of the total manufactured, with brown containers being the second most common color and green being a distant third.
The glass container industry makes products of two general types: narrow-neck containers and wide mouth containers. The two types are used interchangeably, depending on the product, but tradition or utility occasionally dictates specific bottle types. For example, milk is normally packaged in wide mouth containers, both wide mouth and narrow neck bottles are used for cosmetics, while narrow neck bottles are more practical for perfumes. The majority of narrow-neck bottles are primarily manufactured for beverage industries.
Consumer preferences and marketing strategy often combine to determine whether a product is packaged in a wide mouth or narrow neck container. One company used feedback from consumer focus groups to determine the best container for mustard. Participants expressed preference for a wide-mouth jar that would allow the use of a large serving spoon or spatula. The company's selection of a wide mouth container originated from an entirely different perspective. A smaller jar, in the company's estimation, connoted saving the product for special occasions rather than using it as a special item for everyday meals. Thus, the selection of wide-mouth jars satisfied consumer preferences and complemented the company's marketing strategy.
Shape is the most important feature of a bottle. To be practical, a bottle must be able to stand up, have a filling mouth, and withstand a variety of mechanical handling devices such as washing machines, filling tubes, labelers, and conveyors. According to experts, spherical-shaped containers present the most efficient use of glass container weight. After the sphere, the most efficient use of glass is a cylinder with similar dimensions of diameter and height. The container industry generally favors glass shapes characterized by broad, rounded shoulders, edges, and corners. To ensure maximum strength, the industry avoids the use of square or rectangular shapes, flats or panels, or offsets. Glass containers also are designed to convey a brand image. Clear beveled-edge bottles offer high profile products an advantageous shelf presence and easy handling benefits for consumers.
Even more marketable are glass containers combining eye-catching designs with a functional after-life as decanters or collector items. A few decades ago, small, odd-sized and shaped bottles were replaced by standardized bottles, in part because manufacturers discovered that standardized bottles could be produced faster using the old machinery. While most odd-shaped bottles have disappeared, they are now prized and traded as antique collectibles. In the 1990s, Dr Pepper issued a commemorative bottle saluting the involvement of U.S. troops in Operation Desert Storm. In contrast, plastic or aluminum containers rarely offer any collectible value. For the industry, bottle collecting could increase industry share of the beverage market by 3 percent and account for 25 percent of all glass beverage bottles.
Manufacturers capitalize on designer appeal of glass containers by constantly adding innovative styles. Each year, the Glass Packaging Institute recognizes creative glass containers by granting awards in several categories, including food, beverage, package design, label, environmental awareness, and mature product repositioning. In 1989, Fireworks Popcorn captured first place as winner in the overall food category. The award-winning package highlighted the product's vivid popcorn colors by using a clear, reusable 15-ounce jar shaped like a home canning jar. In the beverage category, first place honor went to Ocean Spray's choice of a large, collector-type glass carafe packaging its premium fruit juice.
Changing the design of a glass container entails more than adding a new face. Most design changes create a ripple effect on the overall product manufacturing process, affecting cost and product positioning. Even the slightest modifications—such as availing a round food jar or adding a modest blown-in decorative effect—can increase the container's weight by 20 percent. Maintaining lighter weight without reducing container strength highlights one persistent industry concern. One solution to the weight problems is the use of the narrow neck press and blow technology capable of manufacturing more efficient containers at 15 to 20 percent lighter weights. Another possible solution to weight reduction of glass containers is...
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