Supply chain bottlenecks and the cost of energy are causing problems for Europe’s glass suppliers.
ADVERTISEMENTFor shoppers across Europe, the war in Ukraine is starting to be felt in an unexpected place: their wallets and supermarket shelves.
Both Russia and Ukraine were one of the largest importers of wheat into Europe. And Ukraine is the largest producer of sunflower oil in the world.
However, the war is starting to affect other industries, such as the production of glass.
"Glass in particular has now propped up as a big problem because there seems to be bottlenecks in the ordering system, in the whole supply chain, and in the value of the product, which is affected by the cost of energy,” Natasha Linhart, the CEO of Atlante, told Euronews.
The production of Europe’s glass is currently in the hands of four or five big firms, and one of them has several factories in Ukraine.
The material is also becoming increasingly important. For example, producers are turning to glass as a replacement for plastics.
“The raw materials to make the glass are becoming extremely expensive,” Linhart added.
“So much of the industry was occupied making the vials for the vaccines, over the last couple of years — millions and millions and millions of vaccines — and this has created a dramatic shortage on the global level."