In 2008, consumer demand for pure, green & sustainable food & beverage packaging became more powerful than ever. As reports on chemicals associated with alternative packaging materials raised questions about the purity, health & environmental consequences of certain food & beverage packaging, the spotlight turned back to glass, a packaging material that remains as pure today as it was 4000 years ago. Glass containers are still the only packaging container the US FDA has "generally recognised as safe." In response to consumer demand, leading food & beverage companies such as Coca-Cola began to again package Coke in glass containers for mainstream retailers, not just for limited releases, & O-I;s Michigan plant resumed the production of glass baby bottles after a 20y hiatus. Research within the industry continues to push for glass containers that are stronger & lighter than ever, and innovative recycling efforts across the nation are helping to increase the amount of quality cullet collected for making new glass containers.
