Glass bottle production in Russia may grow by 4–5% year-on-year this year, reaching 15.7 billion units

According to the Chair of the Committee for the Development of Glass Packaging Production and Consumption at the Glass Union association, smaller-volume glass packaging is gaining popularity. Beer and beer-based beverage producers are shifting from 0.5 L bottles to 0.33 L and 0.45 L formats. As a result, packaging 1 liter of product requires about 10% more bottles. In the water and soft drinks segment, single-serve bottles of 0.2–0.25 L for on-the-go consumption are also emerging.

Vyacheslav Mamontov, Executive Director of the Association of Beer, Malt and Beverage Producers, also links the shift in demand toward aluminum cans partly to rising glass costs. According to him, a key driver of this trend is the increase in environmental levy rates. This payment accounts for about 0.8 rubles in the cost of a glass bottle, significantly increasing production costs and reducing the competitiveness of glass packaging. He notes that making glass more competitive and reducing environmental impact can be achieved by lowering bottle weight.

Under Resolution No. 1041, the environmental levy rate for glass and glass products is 3,550 rubles per ton (+8%). The levy rates for aluminum packaging are set by Russian Government Resolution No. 284 dated April 9, 2016. In 2026, the environmental levy for aluminum amounts to 2,786 rubles per ton (+15%).

According to publicly available data, the average producer price for glass packaging in Russia is about 8.5 rubles per bottle, while a 355 ml aluminum can is estimated at around 4.5–18 rubles per unit depending on batch size and specifications. For the 0.45 L format, a glass bottle is generally more expensive than an aluminum can, especially when accounting for weight, production, and logistics.

Data from the State System “Honest Mark” system — Sales volumes in the beer market, including non-alcoholic beer, and low-alcohol beverages by packaging type, %