The European Container Glass Federation, FEVE, has elected Ardagh Glass Europe CEO, Johan Gorter, as its President.

It also elected Verallia’s Chairman and CEO, Jean-Pierre Floris, as Vice-President for the 2017-2019 term of office. The appointments were made during its Annual General Assembly in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday.

The appointments mark a significant milestone as FEVE celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Mr Gorter said: “It is an honour to take on this role and I believe that collectively, we can continue to drive innovation and sustainable growth in the glass packaging sector.”

“In the past 15 years, the consumption of products packed in glass has increased across Europe despite a challenging economy. To ensure that we retain our leadership position I will support our industry in its efforts to drive technology advancement, energy efficiency and circular economy policies which are critical for Europe’s future,” he added.

Mr Floris said: “I am delighted to support the new FEVE president. The executive team remains as committed as ever to grow the competitiveness of the container glass industry and deliver sustainable packaging solutions to our customers.”

The container glass industry is a pioneer of the EU circular economy. In the last 15 years, bottle-to-bottle glass recycling has increased by 139% throughout Europe.

Some 1.5 million bottle banks are available across the region and an average of 74% of Europe’s glass is collected for recycling, marking the success of separate collection for glass introduced in Europe in the 1970s and the commitment of the industry to attain the highest recycling rates.

The industry is also an important contributor to the European economy. Every year more than €600 million is invested in energy efficiency, decarbonisation and upgrades to the 160 manufacturing plants across Europe, which contributes to maintain a total of 125,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Investments in innovation help to modernise production processes and to produce glass bottles that are 30% lighter than 20 years ago, while still maintaining their product preservation qualities, recyclability, and innovative design.

For more information about the 40th anniversary: www.feve.org/40-year-anniversary

Pictured: The FEVE executive team, L-R, Jean-Pierre Floris, Johan Gorter and its Secretary General, Adeline Farrelly.