The glass packaging industry plans to boost glass recycling rates to 90% in Europe by 2030.

The Close the Loop stewardship programme has been backed by industry CEOs and has the common ambition to achieve an EU-wide 90% collection for recycling target for glass packaging by 2030.

The move comes as a proactive response to new EU rules to increase net recycling targets for glass packaging to 75% by 2030.

Today, more than 76% of glass packaging placed on the European market is collected for “bottle to bottle” recycling, already putting the circularity of glass in a league of its own.

The programme will be shaped in the coming months, with initial discussions on collaboration already underway. The official platform launch is planned in June 2020.

FEVE President Michel Giannuzz, said. “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.”

Initiative

This initiative will bring together the different stakeholders of the glass collection and recycling loop under a common European platform with a twofold objective of closing the collection gap and improving the quality of recycled glass (cullet), so that resources remain productive in a bottle-to-bottle manufacturing loop.

More availability of good quality cullet means a more resource-efficient production process, providing a premium level, safe and truly recycled packaging material.

It all starts with collection. 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.

"We don’t believe in a single European model for glass collection, but we do believe in a single ambition,” stressed Mr Giannuzzi.