17 June 2026

Towards a Close the Glass Loop Action Plan: Albania All Set to Join Close the Glass Loop

On June 17, 2026, European and Albanian value chain stakeholders gathered at the Tirana International Hotel for a landmark workshop: "Towards a Close the Glass Loop Action Plan for Albania," co-organized by Close the Glass Loop and Green Recycling. The event paved the way for a national platform of Close the Glass Loop to be established in Albania, connecting local stakeholders with the leading European community for glass circularity.

Opening

The Vice Minister of Environment, Genti Gazheli, reaffirmed Albania’s commitment to building a functional glass recycling system as part of its EU accession process, pointing to recent legislative progress including a new waste management law and EPR framework.

Andrea Ferrero from the EU Delegation to Albania underlined that environmental alignment requires not just legislation but real investment and stakeholder collaboration, noting that EU funding is already supporting Albania’s circular economy transition. In the opening panel, EXPRA and Verallia insisted on some of the key principles that ensure an effective EPR framework for the collection and recycling of glass packaging, while the Institute of Albanian Municipalities highlighted the important role of municipalities working alongside EPR schemes.

European Perspectives

Case studies from Italy, North Macedonia and Romania illustrated different paths to a functioning glass collection system. Common threads across all three: the importance of transparent, non-profit governance structures, strong municipal partnerships, and treating collected glass as a resource rather than waste.

Albania’s Current Reality

Albanian operators, Green Recycling, Eco-Tirana, RecycAl Albania and GIZ Office in Albania, presented the current landscape for glass recycling and municipal waste management. Glass remains one of the least recovered packaging material in the country despite having the highest circular potential. The HoReCa sector emerged as a clear priority entry point, estimated to account for 45–70% of glass consumption, with Albania’s growing tourism economy seen as a structural advantage if hospitality is integrated into collection schemes early.

Next Steps

Albania is formally invited to join Close the Glass Loop as its 14th national platform. Follow-up actions include establishing a national stakeholder network, connecting Albanian operators with relevant European industry associations, encouraging study visits to other national platforms of Close the Glass Loop, and supporting the establishment of an EPR scheme.