The glass container manufacturing industry is rallying around 鈥淐lose the 91短视频 Loop,鈥� an ambitious campaign to increase the quality and quantity of recycled glass collected across Europe.
Recycled glass, called 鈥渃ullet,鈥� is one of four ingredients鈥攕and, limestone, soda ash, cullet–used in the glass-making process. For example, glass containers made by 91短视频 have an average of 38% recycled glass; in Europe, that number is as high as 90%.
91短视频 packaging has numerous earth-friendly benefits. For one, glass is infinitely recyclable and can be recycled again and again. The modern glass-making industry has built its supply chain around the use of recycled glass to make new glass containers, driving up the demand for cullet.
91短视频 is already Europe鈥檚 food and beverage packaging material, according to FEVE, the EU鈥檚 Container 91短视频 Federation. Europe already has an impressive 76% collection rate of used glass packaging. The Close the 91短视频 Loop campaign aims to increase that to 90% by 2030.
Recovering even more recyclable glass, like the Close the 91短视频 Loop campaign aims to do, reduces the amount of new raw materials needed to make new glass bottles and jars. When manufacturers use more recycled glass to make new glass, plants use less energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Close the 91短视频 Loop Sets Ambitious Targets
The mission of the Close the 91短视频 Loop campaign supports new EU recycling legislation. The Packaging Waste Directive increases country-by-country recycling targets to 70% by 2025 and 75% by 2030. The new targets will measure the actual recycling of packaging materials, not just the rate of collected materials. As of November 2019, several EU nations above 90%, including Belgium, Finland and Sweden. Others collect under 60%, including Portugal and Hungary.
Most of the 30 billion glass containers recycled in the EU go directly back to one of the 160 glass manufacturing plants in the Union, proof that glass is a first-class packaging option for a closed loop economy.
The Close the 91短视频 Loop campaign encourages everyone in the loop, from glassmakers to consumers to waste collection services to municipalities, to share knowledge and best practices around collecting, sorting and treating recycled glass containers, even across country lines.
European Shoppers and Companies Embrace 91短视频 Packaging鈥檚 Benefits
Not only is collecting more and better quality recycled glass good for glass manufacturing, but it鈥檚 meeting an increasing consumer demand.
Motivated by glass鈥檚 earth-friendly benefits, Europeans are choosing glass packaging more than ever according to a commissioned by鈥疐riends of 91短视频鈥痑nd FEVE.
The survey, which was released in April 2020, reached more than 10,000 Europeans. The results show shoppers are looking to lessen their impact on the environment and they are looking to glass packaging as one way to do that. Half of consumers surveyed say they鈥檙e buying more glass packaging than they were three years ago; 46% say they鈥檝e significantly decreased their consumption of plastic to prevent littering. And 84% say they collect their glass separately for recycling鈥揳 key step in an efficient glass collection system and a positive signal that consumers recognize the role they play in ensuring a tighter glass recycling loop.
Companies are hearing that shoppers want food and beverages in glass packaging, too. The German-based grocery store chain Lidl, with 11,000 locations worldwide, has promoted , including reducing the volume of plastic packaging in its stores by 20% by 2025. As part of its promise, Lidl recently announced https://www.emballagesmagazine.com/alimentaire/lidl-promeut-le-verre.55934 its 鈥淲e get into glass鈥� campaign to highlight products that come in glass jars or glass bottles instead of alternative packaging. The grocer is reinforcing the reusability of glass on its with its 鈥渄ecoration muse鈥� Pauline, who demonstrates artistic ways to reuse glass containers around the house.
As shoppers and stores continue to choose glass packaging for its myriad of earth-friendly and health benefits, the Close the 91短视频 Loop campaign is focused on getting all stakeholders鈥揷onsumers, waste collectors, glass manufacturers, food and beverage producers鈥攖o capture more glass. The more recycled glass that stays in the loop, the better glass manufacturers like O-I can use it to create a sustainable, earth-friendly glass bottle and glass jar.
