EU Parliament targets resource efficiency boost

Belgium – According to Dutch Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Rapporteur on resource efficiency Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, the Parliament is currently considering measures to boost resource efficiency, including cutting VAT on secondary resources, making waste more mobile within Europe and launching pilot projects to show the full recycling potential of materials.

The pilot projects could explore the possibility of achieving 100% phosphorous recycling in five to ten years, Mr Gerbrandy told delegates at an event in Brussels hosted by Metal Packaging Europe, a new umbrella body representing rigid metal packaging producers. Concrete policy recommendations are set to be finalised by February 10.

At the event, the metal packaging sector emphasised its role in driving resource efficiency. The metal recycling rate in Europe is now 72%, said Robert Beltz, President of the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL).

According to a recent Metal Packaging Europe manifesto, industry had pledged to increase recycling to 80% by 2020 and to ensure no metal packaging goes to landfill.