As institutional discussions on the revamp of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) continue to unfold, FEVE – as the container glass industry – has taken note of the policy recommendations set out in Zero Waste Europe (ZWE)/RELOOP’s paper “Reinventing Glass.”
FEVE agrees with Zero Waste Europe/RELOOP on a number of issues, but categorically refutes the statement that glass would be given a so-called “free pass” under current PPWR plans.
Glass is already undergoing a climate-neutral revolution
European container glass manufacturing is a genuine circular model for packaging – one that perfectly fits the EU’s ambition to build a circular economy. By 2050, the container glass industry is also committed to achieving a major revolution in making glass that is fit for this circular and climate-neutral economy. This goes beyond individual business commitments and road maps to reflect a sustainable business transformation with the full weight of the glass industry behind it – because under the EU Climate Law, decarbonisation is not an option, but an obligation.
For this reason, ZWE/RELOOP‘s claim about the “incompatibility [of single-use glass] with the climate agenda” is not only untrue, but incoherent with EU law. The claim is based on a ZWE study commissioned from Eunomia on “Decarbonisation of Single Use Beverage Packaging” – a study that is predicated on assuming decarbonisation is a choice for industry, rather than it being mandatory for all industries to maintain the right to operate in the EU. It is also based on partial, unchecked, and inaccurate assumptions. FEVE addresses all these in a separate technical analysis.
Read FEVE’s full PPWR position.