O-I's Complete Life Cycle Assessment of Glass Brings Clarity to Carbon Footprint Conversation

Cradle-to-cradle study allows first true comparisons of glass with aluminum and plastic

PERRYSBURG, Ohio, April 29, 2010 - Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI), the world's largest manufacturer of
glass packaging, today released the results of a comprehensive global study
of the complete life cycle of glass containers. O-I's life cycle assessment
(LCA), which measures the carbon emissions generated by each phase in the
life of a glass container, is foundational to the company's ambitious new
sustainability program.

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Addressing calls from customers, consumer product makers, retailers and
environmental groups for greater clarity in LCA reporting, O-I's study is the
first in the packaging sector to follow the complete life of a package - from
the extraction of raw materials to the reuse or recycling of the container.
The model used for the study also allowed an assessment of cradle-to-cradle
life cycle data on aluminum and plastic Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
containers, enabling the first true comparisons between the packaging
materials.

"Widespread inconsistencies in carbon footprint assessments have made it
nearly impossible to compare the impact of one packaging material with that
of another," said O-I CEO Al Stroucken. "Many assessments used today only
take into account a portion of the full life cycle of a product, resulting in
incomplete and inaccurate data. Customers are sometimes unknowingly making
packaging decisions based on incomplete data. We knew we needed to take the
best and most complete approach possible to bring clarity to the conversation
and provide an accurate picture of how glass compares with other packaging
materials."

O-I used manufacturing and publicly available data on the production of
aluminum and PET to compare glass with these other packaging materials. O-I's
life cycle assessment model was tested and validated by AMR Research, a
respected firm specializing in supply chain and sustainability research.

"Our assessment shows that glass clearly has the most favorable carbon
footprint," said Jay Scripter, O-I vice president of sustainability. "When
you look at the complete life cycle of glass, commonly held misconceptions
are disproved. Food and beverage makers concerned about sustainability should
choose glass."

    Additional findings from the O-I life cycle assessment include:

    - Transporting finished glass containers comprises only a small
      portion - 4 to 5 percent - of the complete carbon footprint of glass
      packaging.
    - Using recycled glass directly reduces the amount of energy needed
      to extract and process raw materials. Every 10 percent of recycled
      glass used in production cuts carbon emissions by about 5 percent and
      reduces energy use by some 3 percent.
    - O-I's current use of recycled glass - an industry leading 36
      percent globally - already generates enough energy savings to
      completely offset the emissions produced by finished goods
      transportation.

O-I has used this study to establish aggressive sustainability goals,
which the company intends to announce next week.

About O-I

Millions of times a day, O-I glass containers deliver many of the world's
best-known consumer products to people all around the world. With the leading
position in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America, O-I
manufactures consumer-preferred, 100-percent recyclable glass containers that
enable superior taste, purity, visual appeal and value benefits for our
customers' products. Established in 1903, the company employs more than
22,000 people with 78 plants in 22 countries. In 2009, net sales were US$7.1
billion. For more information, visit www.o-i.com.

Stephanie Johnston, O-I Corporate Communications, +1-567-336-7199, stephanie.johnston at o-i.com; NOTE TO EDITORS: Copies of Owens-Illinois news releases are available at the Owens-Illinois web site at www.o-i.com or at www.prnewswire.com