The latest industry data from FEVE The European Container Glass Federation on glass recycling confirms that over 12 million tons of glass bottles and jars are collected and recycled in Europe, with an average glass recycling rate in the EU28 of 74%. Glass remains the best-performing food-grade closed loop in the world, FEVE says. The latest industry data have a two-year time lag dating from 2016.
According to FEVE, the 12-million-ton figure should be set to rise. With the Circular Economy now at the forefront of the political agenda, EU Member States have committed to ambitious targets on municipal waste reduction and glass packaging recycling. This signals a renewed investment in separate collection for glass packaging in the coming years, which will engage consumers, municipalities, Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, recyclers, and manufacturers in a collaborative effort to collect, sort, and treat the glass that is currently leaking from the system.
“As an industry, we commit to actually recycle all collected glass of sufficient quality in the closed loop. An estimated 90 percent of what is collected goes into creating new bottles from old ones, offering brands and consumers a food grade-quality recycled material. Today, recycled glass is our most important raw material, which brings us major environmental benefits and energy savings,” says Adeline Farrelly, FEVE Secretary General.
FEVE’s recent study on glass packaging recycling demonstrates that countries such as Austria and Sweden have gone beyond 90 percent collection for recycling rates by installing bottle bank systems and investing in consumer awareness. Tailored solutions will need to be found locally, but separating glass from the other materials is the best investment for public authorities to meet the new glass recycling targets. FEVE’s recent consumer research suggests that, particularly for millennials, environmental credentials drive their product choice, and that the take-back culture for glass packaging is very strong where there is a bottle bank infrastructure in place.
“Consumers have a strong connection with glass packaging, which is for them more than just a package,” Farrelly says. “Over ten years ago, the industry decided to invest in consumer communications to raise awareness about the importance of glass recycling and the other key assets of glass packaging. We want to help bridge the collection gap, but clearly cannot do so on our own. Efforts across the value chain are needed.”
The average 74% EU glass collection for recycling rate masks a variety of situations between countries, says FEVE. Looking at performance rates, on the one side, there are countries in the “over 90%” top league, including Belgium, Finland, Austria, Sweden, and Slovenia, where separate collection schemes for glass perform very well and provide a high-quality secondary raw material for the industry. On the opposite side, there are countries in the “under 40%” league, such as Greece, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Malta, and Romania, where the collection culture and, consequently, the glass collection schemes have important potential for growth. Looking at overall volumes of glass collected, the picture in larger countries such as France, Italy, the U.K., Poland, or Spain is different.
In conclusion, says FEVE, each country is different and will need its own focused and tailored strategy to ensure top-class glass recycling.
