The European Union environmental policy agenda & best practices on glass Recycling

1. The European Union
environmental policy agenda
Glass Recycling
10 December 2008

2. Threats to Human Health
Threats to Biodiversity
Climate Change
Degradation
Pollution
air, water, soil…
Green House Depletion
Gasses Resources
Unsustainable Population growth
Economic growth
Production & Spending power
Consumption
Market
Prices do not
Distortions
reflect costs Biased Unbalanced
Fixed
Information Markets
behaviour
of consumers

3. Policies across the Life-Cycle of
Products
Natural Natural Better
Resources Resources Design Products
Reuse,
Recycling, Manufacturing
Disposal
Recovery
Leaner
Production
Collection Distribution
Waste &
Recycling Use
Smarter
Consumption

4. Recent policy responses
• New waste legislation
• Energy & climate change package
• Sustainable Production and Consumption Action Plan
and Sustainable Industrial Policy
• Raw Materials Initiative
• Reviews of Sustainable Development Strategy

5. Waste & Recycling
the European legislation
• Stricter waste hierarchy
• Household waste: 50% by weight by 2015
(paper, metal, plastic & glass)
• 2015 separate collection must be set up for at least the
following: paper, metal, plastic & glass
• Emphasis on prevention
• Packaging: 55 to 80%

6. The French example
The approach: Consumers voluntarily return
their glass packaging to bottle banks
Producer responsibility: The producer pays a tax
to the French system “eco-emballage” (0,36
Euro per kilo of glass)
Around 60% of glass
package is collected
75% of this collected
glass in recycled
Evolution of the glass collected (in KT)

7. The German example
The approach: Deposit on one-way beverage
containers & refillables deposit
Producer responsibility: According to packaging
legislation, manufacturers and distributors are
obliged to take back all packaging sold in
Germany and to have it recycled.
Results of the German one-way deposit:
Refillable quota for beer: 85%
Mineral water and soft drinks: 34-37%
Reference: Juices without deposit < 10%

8. The German example
Wholesalers for beverages Mineral springs and bottlers
Collection from retailers Cleaning and bottling
Recirculation of empties to
mineral springs / bottlers
Retailers Wholesalers for beverages
Take back of bottles / crates Purchase / pick up
Pre-sorting Storage
Consignment sale
Distribution
Consumers Retailers
Allocation and sale
Buy at point of sale
Return of bottles

9. The Belgium example
The approach: Consumers voluntarily return their
glass packaging to glass collection points (+/- 1 site
for 1.000 inhabitants)
Producer responsibility: For all packaging, obligation
of 80% of valorisation and of 50% of recycling.
Every three years, companies have to present waste
prevention plan
Around 99% of glass
package is recycled

10. The Belgium example
Quantities of packaging waste generated in the Member State and recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery in Belgium in 2006
Recovered or incinerated at waste incineration plants with energy recovery by
Rate of recovery or
Recycling
Packaging waste incineration at waste
rate
Total recovery and
incineration plants
Other forms of Incineration at waste
generated Other forms of Energy incineration at waste (%)
Material recycling Total recycling with energy recovery
incineration plants with
incineration plants with
recycling recovery recovery energy recovery
energy recovery
Material
Glass 385.312 384.371 0 384.371 0 0 0 384.371 99,8 99,8
Plastic 302.334 116.585 0 116.585 2.604 0 138.383 257.572 38,6 85,2
Paper and board 635.316 565.996 0 565.996 183 0 39.102 605.281 89,1 95,3
Total 135.685 126.508 0 126.508 0 0 0 126.508 93,2 93,2
Metals Aluminium 0 0 0 0
Steel 0 0 0 0
Wood 191.053 121.879 0 121.879 12.123 0 57.051 191.053 63,8 100,0
Other 15.833 442 0 442 343 0 8.018 8.803 2,8 55,6
Total 1.665.533 1.315.781 0 1.315.781 15.253 0 242.554 1.573.588 79,0 94,5