O-I Glass has appointed Bruno Jucá as president of its South America division. Jucá, who joined the company as an intern in 2007 and has served as CFO of O-I Brazil and global director of FP&A, is tasked with continuing the regional strategic plan.
Why this mattersAn internal appointment with a finance background keeps O-I's South American strategy under a long-serving executive rather than an outside hire.
- Bruno Jucá becomes president of O-I Glass's South America division
- He has 19 years at O-I, having joined as an intern in 2007
- Previous roles include CFO of O-I Brazil and global director of FP&A
- The appointment continues execution of the O-I Blueprint and 3 Horizons strategy in South America
O-I Glass's 2026 Sustainability Report says hundreds of energy-saving projects cut an estimated 133,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2025, the year it set up a global energy team called Spark. Absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 28% below the 2019 baseline, 65% of global electricity use was matched with renewable energy certificates against an 80% goal for 2030, and recycled content averaged 42%.
Why this mattersDisclosed energy savings and 42% recycled content give O-I evidence for brand owners comparing glass suppliers on carbon, as customers face rising sustainability expectations.
- Energy-saving projects cut an estimated 133,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2025
- Absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2025 were 28% below the 2019 baseline
- 65% of global electricity use was matched with RECs in 2025, against an 80% goal for 2030; Continental Europe was 100%
- The global average recycled content rose to 42%
- O-I supports about 40 closed-loop recycling programmes and 47 US community collection sites
- O-I has about 19,000 employees at 61 plants in 18 countries and had 2025 revenue of USD 6.4bn
O-I Glass plans to close two of the six production lines at its Pointe-Saint-Charles glass container plant in Montreal, affecting about 20% of the site's 340 employees, according to Le Journal de Montréal. The cuts reportedly follow the expiry of a four-year supply contract with Anheuser-Busch, amid US-Canada trade tensions; the plant exports 60-70% of its output to the United States. A first round of layoffs covering about 10% of staff was scheduled to start on 6 October 2026, with about 30 more employees to follow two weeks later.
Why this mattersLosing an Anheuser-Busch contract while exporting 60-70% of output to the US leaves the Montreal plant exposed to both customer and cross-border trade risk.
- Two of six production lines are to close at O-I Glass's Pointe-Saint-Charles plant in Montreal.
- About 20% of the plant's 340 employees could be affected.
- A first round of layoffs of about 10% of staff was scheduled to begin on 6 October 2026, with about 30 more two weeks later.
- Union representatives say one of the affected lines makes about 400 bottles per minute.
- The plant exports about 60-70% of its glass container output to the United States.
- The cuts are reportedly tied to the expiry of a four-year supply contract with Anheuser-Busch, an AB InBev subsidiary.
O-I Glass, Verallia and Verescence have each commissioned a hybrid furnace in France in 2026, according to the Federation of Glass Industries, giving the country the largest hybrid furnace base in Europe's container glass sector. O-I Glass installed its unit at Veauche, alongside Verallia's furnace at Saint-Romain-le-Puy and Verescence's at Mers-les-Bains; some sites have cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 64%.
Why this mattersHybrid retrofits let glassmakers cut emissions on ageing furnaces without the capital cost of full electrification, a template others may follow at their next rebuild.
- O-I Glass commissioned a hybrid furnace at its Veauche site in France in 2026
- Verallia commissioned a hybrid furnace at Saint-Romain-le-Puy and Verescence at Mers-les-Bains in 2026
- Some hybrid furnace sites have cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 64%, per the Federation of Glass Industries
- France runs 17 glass factories and 13 processing centres employing nearly 7,000 workers
- France has more than 150 decarbonisation and innovation projects under way across its glass sector
- 40% of glass food packaging used in France is now imported, up from 20% two decades ago
O-I Glass plans to idle two of the six production lines at its Pointe-Saint-Charles plant in Montreal after a four-year supply contract with Anheuser-Busch, a subsidiary of AB InBev, came to an end. About 10% of the roughly 340 employees are to be laid off for an indefinite period from 6 October 2026, with some 30 further posts going about two weeks later, according to Le Journal, which links the lost contracts to the US-Canada tariff dispute. Between 60% and 70% of the plant's output is normally exported to the United States; the plant director cited a more difficult and uncertain business environment and local management declined to comment.
Why this mattersLoss of a major US beverage contract is cutting lines and headcount at a Canadian glass plant, exposing how far such sites depend on US demand.
- Two of the plant's six production lines are to be idled, one of them running at 400 bottles per minute.
- The end of a four-year supply contract with Anheuser-Busch, a subsidiary of AB InBev, contributed heavily to the decision.
- About 10% of the plant's roughly 340 workers are to be laid off for an indefinite period from 6 October 2026.
- A second round about two weeks later would affect roughly 30 more employees, taking the total to 20% of the workforce.
- 60% to 70% of the plant's bottle and jar output is normally exported to the United States.
- The Pointe-Saint-Charles plant is nearly 125 years old and among the oldest of O-I, which operates in nine countries.
