Federal Association of the Glass Industry

The Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V. (BV Glas), known in English as the Federal Association of the Glass Industry, is the umbrella organisation (Spitzenorganisation) of the German glass industry. It is a registered voluntary association (eingetragener Verein) that represents roughly 80 percent of glass-producing companies in Germany and advocates their environmental, economic and energy-policy interests. Its membership spans companies active in container glass, flat glass, special glass, and glass processing and finishing. Members include German companies as well as international companies that maintain a branch or subsidiary in Germany. The association is organised into four specialist groups (Fachgruppen) that reflect the different segments of the glass sector: the Container Glass group, the Flat Glass Industry group, the Utility and Special Glass group, and the Glass Processing and Finishing Industry group. Through these groups BV Glas coordinates common positions and provides its members with a first point of contact on current directives, statements and recommendations in fields such as energy, environment, product policy and technology. One of BV Glas's central tasks is to supply users and decision-makers from industry, skilled trades and commerce, as well as opinion leaders from science, research, politics, media and consumers, with information about the German glass industry and about glass as a material. The association also represents its member companies' interests in public. When common national or international standards for the glass sector are being drafted, BV Glas takes on coordination and alignment. It further aims to show how individual and versatile the material glass can be. As the peak body for Germany's glass-producing industry, it acts as an important national and international representative in all major economic-policy fields. BV Glas is a member of the Interessenverband Energieintensive Industrien in Deutschland (the interest association of energy-intensive industries in Germany) and of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI, the Federation of German Industries). Since November 2015, Frank Heinricht, chairman of the board of Schott AG, has served as president of the association. Christiane Nelles took over as chief executive (Hauptgeschäftsführung) from Dr. Johann Overath on 1 July 2025. The association publishes current information on its website, including market data on container glass sales and statements on European regulatory topics such as the ETS review and packaging policy.

The Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V. (BV Glas) is the peak organisation of the German glass industry. It is a registered voluntary association (eingetragener Verein) that represents around 80 percent of glass-producing companies in Germany and advocates their environmental, economic and energy-policy interests. Its membership covers companies in container glass, flat glass, special glass, and glass processing and finishing, including German companies and international companies with a branch in Germany. The association is structured around four specialist groups (Fachgruppen) that represent the different glass sectors: the Container Glass group, the Flat Glass Industry group, the Utility and Special Glass group, and the Glass Processing and Finishing Industry group. Through these groups BV Glas coordinates common positions and serves as a first point of contact for members on current directives, statements and recommendations in energy, environment, product policy and technology. A central task of BV Glas is to provide users and decision-makers from industry, skilled trades and commerce, as well as opinion leaders from science, research, politics, media and consumers, with information about the German glass industry and about glass as a material. The association also represents its members' interests in public. When common national or international standards for the glass sector are developed, BV Glas coordinates and aligns positions. It further aims to demonstrate how individual and versatile the material glass can be. As the peak body for Germany's glass-producing industry, it is an important national and international representative in all major economic-policy fields. BV Glas is a member of the Interessenverband Energieintensive Industrien in Deutschland and of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI). Since November 2015, Frank Heinricht, chairman of the board of Schott AG, has been president of the association. On 1 July 2025, Christiane Nelles took over the chief executive role (Hauptgeschäftsführung) from Dr. Johann Overath. The association publishes current information on its website, including market data on container glass sales and statements on European regulatory topics such as the ETS review and packaging policy.

• Frank Heinricht, chairman of the board of Schott AG, becomes president of BV Glas.

• BV Glas reports that container glass industry sales fell 15.5 percent in 2023.

• BV Glas reports a slight decline in glass industry revenue in 2023.

• BV Glas reports container glass sales fell 4.4 percent in the first half of 2024.

• BV Glas reports container glass sales fell 2.5 percent in 2024.

• The European container glass industry responds to the ANSES study on microplastics in beverages.

• Christiane Nelles takes over as chief executive from Dr. Johann Overath on 1 July.

• GADV publishes the 2024 balance for the packaging market.

• BV Glas reports container glass market sales down 1.0 percent in the first half of 2025.

• BV Glas comments that the ETS review sets first impulses but does not solve decisive challenges.

Peak industry association and umbrella organisation for the German glass industry, representing around 80 percent of German glass producers.

1. 1Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V. official websitebvglas.de
2. 2Bundesverband Glasindustrie – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Federal Association of the Glass Industry – Wikidatawikidata.org