Glass collection across EU at new high

EU nations achieved a record average glass collection rate of 78% in 2019, two percentage points higher than the year before, according to latest data published by Close the Glass Loop.

The multi-stakeholder stewardship partnership has set a post-consumer glass container collection target of 90% by 2030. The vast majority of the 13.7 million tonnes collected for recycling currently goes back to remelt new bottles and jars.

‘The high glass collection for recycling rate shows that our ambitious targets can be achieved with close cooperation between all players in the value chain, sharing best practices on innovative and tailored collection models, high quality sorting and recycling and communication campaigns for consumers,’ says Joachim Quoden, managing director of the Extended Producer Responsibility Alliance, which comprises 26 packaging and packaging waste recovery and recycling systems from 24 countries.

‘Glass is a permanent material that can be endlessly recycled into new packaging,’ adds Marine Ronquetti, secretary-general of the European Federation of Glass Recyclers. ‘The more glass is selectively collected, the better its quality for more recycled glass that can be produced and incorporated in the production of new glass packaging.’