22 MAY 1964, Page 27

United Glass Bottles

It is reported that the glass container is staging a comeback. Becchams have taken their liquid shampoos out of plastic and put them into glass. And the milk trade, led by Express Dairies, is taking up the 14 oz. lightweight milk bottle. This was pioneered by Rockware but is now being de- veloped by UNITED GLASS, the leader of the glass industry with 40 per cent of the market. United Is also responsible for the latest technical advance of titanisation which toughens glass by titanium .0.xide. It is claimed that this process increases the life of a glass bottle, now estimated at forty-five trips, by up to 50 per cent. Plastics remain, of course, the great competitor, but glass has this advantage that it can be sterilised and is non- toxic. Last year the output of glass bottles re- covered from its bad 1962 year, and profit Mar- gins, which had been drastically slashed, im- proved slightly. There may be no quick turn- round in the industry, but if the worst has been seen United Glass should further improve. Last year its profits were nearly 5 per cent up and the dividend was maintained at 15 per cent. At the present price of 13s. 3d. the yield is 5.6 per cent on dividends and 63 per cent on earnings.