A key player in the beauty market and a leader in the art of glassmaking in Europe, Bormioli Luigi - which will merge next year with Bormioli Rocco, its tableware subsidiary acquired in 2020, to become the Bormioli Group - is looking to the future, even though the economic climate is difficult to predict. Like its competitors, Bormioli Luigi has to deal with soaring energy costs and, more generally, rising prices for raw materials, transport and packaging. However, while demand fell sharply in 2020, during the health crisis, it is now particularly dynamic, driven by North America and Asia.
Despite these mixed signals, the Italian glassmaker is standing firm and preparing for the future, be it in terms of technology and innovation, infrastructure or production capacity. Investments in Spain to meet the needs of the masstige segment, continued product innovation to provide eco-responsible solutions, and a 50% decarbonisation objective by 2030: in total, a EUR 200 million plan is being implemented over the 2019-2023 period.
"Obviously, it s a complicated context, but a glass company that does not innovate and invest is gradually doing away with itself," explained Simone Baratta, Director of the Prestige Perfumes Business Unit.
A production site in Spain to cope with mixed market demands
"The company now can meet the needs of its original customers, i.e. premium perfumery, but also to extend its offer to the masstige and cosmetics segment, thanks to our new industrial tool: our glass factory in Azuquaca, located 40 km from Madrid", commented Marco Azzali, Sales Director Prestige Perfumes.
The factory currently manufactures mainly tableware (under the name Bormioli Rocco) and is gradually (and partially) being transformed to produce bottles for mid-range perfumery and cosmetics. One IS machine was installed in 2021 and two more are planned for 2023. In 2024, decoration and finishing operations will also be integrated into the Azuquaca plant "to build up internal production capacity, thus enabling us to be more flexible and respond more quickly to customer requests," specified Simone Baratta.
Ever more responsible glass solutions
Glass, a material that is infinitely and 100% recyclable, has undeniable advantages at a time when brands and consumers alike are looking for solutions that are both more premium and more responsible. To meet these expectations, Bormioli Luigi’s teams have developed numerous innovations to enable the extensive and responsible use of glass: lightweight solutions, recycled glass, interchangeable rings, etc.
The Ecoline range thus includes a series of bottles, jars and caps made of ultra-light glass (58% less glass weight than a traditional container). A relevant response in terms of eco-responsibility on which the company continues to invest with a formula that could soon be even more efficient. Watch this space!
More recently, Bormioli Luigi has developed a line of glass containers for make-up: refillable lipstick, lipgloss and mascara. To this offer, Bormioli Luigi has added its expertise in the customisation of glass shapes and finishing techniques, including the application of specific decorations or UV protection. The latter has been developed to match the new generation of perfumes and care products whose natural formulas are light-sensitive.
As for the interchangeable rings, they have been designed by the glassmaker primarily to serve the market for refillable perfumery and skincare products.
Finally, Bormioli Luigi has been offering for several years now PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) glass, the demand for which is constantly increasing: "All the premium brands want a percentage - as high as possible - of PCR glass in their bottles, with no compromise on quality of course," explained Simone Baratta. "This is a very challenging market where the offer for quality PCR is extremely variable today, which forces us to contract with the quality providers we selected to ensure the sustainability of our offer," concluded Simone Baratta.
