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In 2023, the production volume of liquor bottles in Japan amounted to approximately * thousand metric tons, meaning that liquor bottles were the largest category of glass products manufactured. Following closely were food and condiment containers, with a production volume of around * thousand tons.  

Glass as a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging

The demand for more sustainable packaging materials has surged since the Japanese government enacted a law in 2022, aiming to reduce the use of disposable plastic products. Glass is increasingly preferred as an alternative to plastic packaging due to its recyclability, reusability, and sustainability. However, paper is often more attractive for packaging as it is lighter, less fragile, and easier to transport.
In Japan, glass is collected separately for recycling. The recycling rate of glass bottles exceeded ** percent in recent years and was much higher than the overall recycling rate of waste, which remained at around ** percent.

Japan’s impact on the global glass market

In recent years, Japan ranked among the top global glass and glassware exporting countries, contributing around *** percent of the global glass exports. Kyocera Corporation was the third-largest glass producer worldwide based on revenue. AGC and Nippon Sheet Glass also secured positions within the top ten global glass companies.
Asian countries such as China, South Korea, and Singapore as well as the United States were Japan’s main trading partners for glass exports.