MPE aims for zero metal waste to landfill
Metal Packaging Europe (MPE), the trade body representing the united interests of producers and suppliers of metal packaging across Europe, hosted a debate on metal’s sustainability at the European Parliament in Brussels last Tuesday (24 January).
The event, which was hosted in partnership with Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy MEP, brought together key influencers to promote metal resource efficiency in a sustainable Europe.
It reinforced Metal Packaging Europe’s ambition to establish the metal packaging sector as a permanent and valuable contributor to sustainability in public policy.
Being infinitely recyclable with no loss of quality, metal is well positioned as a packaging material able to contribute to a more resource efficient Europe and a recycling society. Metal recycling significantly reduces CO2 emissions and has the capability to provide a key and unlimited natural asset for future generations.
United through its Sustainability Manifesto, Metal Packaging Europe, and the metal packaging sector, has set itself the ultimate target of achieving zero metal waste to landfill. This target is supported through the sector’s challenge to increase the average European metal recycling rates from close to 70% to 80% by 2020.
Anders Linde (pictured), secretary general of Metal Packaging Europe, said: “By achieving increased recycling rates, and with a bold ambition to ensure no metal packaging goes to landfill, we can retain metal in the material to material loop.
“Through our event in Brussels, we have invited member states, policy-makers and stakeholders to join forces to meet the 2020 Metal Packaging Europe targets. By working together we can ensure that our permanent materials concept is integrated into all key legislation working to create a resource efficient society.”
Host of the debate, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy MEP, and Rapporteur on the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe for the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, commented on the need for EU legislation change. “The scarcity of resources forces the EU to become radically more efficient, and recycling is paramount to achieve this goal,” he says. “For economical and ecological reasons we should strive for recycling percentages close to 100% for certain materials. This could be stimulated by lowering the VAT for secondary materials, as a more efficient use of resources is essential for the EU to get out of the economic crisis.”
European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik, added: “Industry will have to play a key role if we want to see effective waste management delivering its full potential for resource efficiency and creating new business opportunities and jobs. This is why I very much welcome the commitment of the metal packaging industry to making waste a resource, and to developing a real cradle to cradle approach. Metal Packaging Europe’s main proposals, such as increasing resource efficiency, zero metals in landfills, and closed loop recycling – are important messages to the rest of the European industry. Only by working together we will be able to take a real step towards resource efficiency in Europe.
