For the 32nd time, the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria (UBB) is celebrating the professional holiday of the beer industry Ilinden with impressive results. For the first 6 months of the year, innovative projects worth 32 million leva have already been implemented, and the revenues from beer companies for the budget from excise duties and VAT are over 64 million leva. During the most active period for brewers - from June to August, over 170 million liters of beer are produced in our country and 175 million liters are sold. According to current data, everyone employed in the brewing industry during this period "produces" 888 liters per day (80,000 liters of beer for the three months).
This year, the frequency of consumption of the sparkling drink in our country continues to be stable, despite the fact that the beer market has a slight decline compared to the same period in 2024. According to the traditional summer survey by Ipsos, conducted on behalf of the Bulgarian Beer Association, 75% of our compatriots drink beer at least once a month, and 57% - at least once a week. On a monthly basis, Bulgarians consume the amber drink 9 times.
The most loyal beer fans, who raise their mugs at least 11 times a month, are from the age groups 30 – 39 and 40 – 49 years. 42% of our compatriots are convinced that beer is a suitable drink for them. The same opinion is shared by 64 percent of active beer consumers who drink beer at least once a week.
Non-alcoholic beer continues to be increasingly popular both at the European and national levels. Last year, every 15th beer sold in the EU was non-alcoholic. And although Bulgaria is far from these quantities, sales of beer with 0% alcohol are growing. The Ipsos survey shows that 22% of Bulgarians believe that non-alcoholic beer is a modern drink, and for 33 percent of women it is a suitable drink. During the first six months of this year, over 3 million liters of non-alcoholic beer were consumed in our country. These trends are mainly due to the preferences of active people who are looking for a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
The data related to the significant project for our entire society to introduce a deposit system for the return of beverage packaging is also of interesting eco-orientation. Through this system, everyone will be able to return empty cans and bottles of beer, soft drinks, bottled water and cider to large stores or neighborhood grocers. For this purpose, the amount of the deposit that the consumer has already paid when he bought the respective beverage will be returned. In this way, people will be encouraged to return the packaging and better protect nature.
According to the Ipsos survey, 61% of Bulgarians have heard/know about the deposit system, and 90% have a positive attitude towards returning the packaging (the questionnaire contains an explanation of the deposit system). 66% of all respondents even declare extreme approval and are highly motivated to return packaging to the deposit system. Among women, this attitude applies to 70% of respondents, and among men - to 63%. The deposit system is most strongly supported by people aged 50-59. The residents of large cities with a population of over 100,000 people know the most about it - 72%. In Sofia, this applies to 63% of the capital's population.
,,Deposit systems are now mandatory for all EU countries, and 15 of them already operate such systems. Bulgaria has a unique chance to build its system, building on the most successful of these practices. Leaders in this process everywhere are the beer and soft drink industries, which are obliged to fulfill a number of legally defined goals for separate collection and insertion of recycled material into PET bottles.“, commented Ivana Radomirova, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Association of Beverage Producers. She adds that unfortunately, there are more and more indications that in our country it is possible that this system could be managed by a state-owned enterprise, a model that exists only in Croatia, and that before the country became a member of the EU.
Current green news for all European brewers is the fact that a week ago the European Commission approved the updated specific rules for the ecological footprint of the beer industry. They provide a methodology for assessing the ecological footprint of different types of beers, taking into account a wide range of criteria that cover the processes along the entire brewing cycle - from grain to glass. The assessment identifies all the "hot" points along the beer's path, allows for fair green competition and meets consumer expectations.
Bulgarian brewers are also reporting significant progress in innovative eco-practices. Compared to 2020, today, the consumption of electricity for the production of one liter of beer has decreased by 40 percent, and water consumption by 300%. The total carbon emissions of brewing companies in the country have also decreased by 30 percent. Over the past 5 years, the steady trend of reducing the share of plastic bottles has continued. Consumers increasingly prefer beer not to be in PET bottles and their market share has already been reduced by 13% compared to 2020.