2 April 2020
European Soft Drinks Industry joins ‘Close the Glass Loop’ to optimise glass packaging circular economy
UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe – representing the European soft drinks industry – joins 'Close the Glass Loop' – the major industry stewardship programme for glass packaging initiated by FEVE.
Brussels, 2nd April 2020
UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe – representing the European soft drinks industry – joins ‘Close the Glass Loop’ – the major industry stewardship programme for glass packaging initiated by the EU Container Glass Federation (FEVE). The platform has the objective to achieve a post-consumer glass container collection target of 90%, and to ensure that this is recycled into the container glass production loop to come back as a new packaging.
“We are proud to join the Close the Glass Loop platform. It is a strong initiative and a step in the right direction towards making Europe’s Economy Circular. Its objectives are in line with our theme of ‘Circularity works, let’s all give it a chance’, and we are glad to be involved in building its foundations,” says Nicholas Hodac, UNESDA Director General. “By contributing to an increased collection and endless recycling of glass packaging we help to drive sustainability throughout our value chain. Recycled glass is essential for the container glass industry. It means a more resource-efficient production process and more sustainable glass packaging solutions for our member companies.”
The ‘Close the Glass Loop’ initiative aims to unite the container glass value chain under a multi-stakeholder European programme but also crucially to support national level action plans. UNESDA’s company and national association members will cooperate with national glass value chains across Europe to improve the collection and recycling of glass packaging. The Close the Glass Loop national action plans will drive sustainability throughout the whole value chain.
“We are delighted to have UNESDA’s support and collaboration to reach the full potential of our Circular Economy model predicated on the endless recycling possibilities of glass. Soft Drinks are a key customer for our industry and are frontline in persuading consumers to recycle more and better together,” states Adeline Farrelly, FEVE Secretary General. “The collaboration with UNESDA members is a key milestone in our pathway to 90% collection target and towards a climate-neutral glass packaging industry.”
All consumer goods industries are being called upon by the European Commission to collect, recycle and reuse packaging. Each country will need to achieve the 2030 recycling targets fixed by the recently reviewed Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. For glass, it is 75% by 2030.
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About UNESDA
UNESDA represents the European soft drinks industry. Its members include both corporations and national associations from across the EU and beyond. They produce drinks including squashes, still drinks, carbonates, powders, fruit drinks, iced teas, iced coffees, syrups, energy drinks and sports drinks. The association was founded in 1958 and is based in Brussels. See more at www.unesda.eu.
About FEVE
FEVE is the Federation of European manufacturers of glass containers for food and beverage and flacons for perfumery, cosmetics and pharmacy markets. Its members produce over 80 billion glass containers per year. The association has some 60 corporate members belonging to approximately 20 independent corporate groups. Their 150 manufacturing plants are located across 23 European States and maintain 125.000 direct and indirect jobs along the total supply chain. See more at www.feve.org.