EU glass recycling target set at 90% by 2030

European glass container industry CEOs have unanimously agreed to set up the ‘Close the Glass Loop’ programme, with the shared ambition of achieving an EU-wide 90% collection for recycling target for glass packaging by 2030. The programme will be shaped in the coming months with value chain partners, with initial discussions on collaboration already underway. The official platform launch is planned in June 2020.

“Our goal is to keep increasing the sustainability credentials of the glass packaging solutions we provide to our customers and consumers” commented FEVE President Michel Giannuzzi. “We are proud to lead ‘Close the Glass Loop’, an industry-wide initiative that will have real benefits for the market and our planet alike; it is our call for action to deliver an ambitious Circular Economy Action Plan for glass.”

This initiative will bring together the different stakeholders of the glass collection and recycling loop under a common European platform, with a two-fold objective of closing the collection gap and improving the quality of cullet, so that resources remain productive in a bottle-to-bottle manufacturing loop. According to FEVE, greater availability of good quality cullet means a more resource-efficient production process, providing a premium level, safe and truly recycled packaging material.

The ‘Close the Glass Loop’ programme will boost collection and involve the many committed European and national partners, from municipalities, to glass processors and industry customers, including the Extended Producer Responsibility schemes operating across EU Member States. “To be successful, we need to work locally in every EU Member State, while sharing best practices and raising ambitions via a European platform” Michael Giannuzzi stressed. “We don’t believe in a single European model for glass collection but we do believe in a single ambition.”

“We are very proud to have been able to set the foundations for such an ambitious programme, which has very strong support inside the membership and perfectly matches the objectives of both the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European Green Deal of the new European Commission” Adeline Farrelly, Secretary General of FEVE confirmed.

www.feve.org

Published: 
21/11/2019

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