It’s time to make the EU Circular Economy Package work
Date
22 May 2018
Sections
Climate & Environment
Brussels 22 May 2018 - It’s time now for the 28 EU Member States to start delivering on reducing landfill of household waste to maximum 10% by 2035, measuring real recycling after the final sorting phase and promoting the use of materials which are reusable or multiple recyclable. Europe now has the framework to make the Circular Economy really work, says European Aluminium, after the Council of Ministers has voted for the amended Waste Directives of the Package.
With impressive recycling rates of over 90% in transport and building and over 60% in packaging, aluminium is already contributing to the European circular economy. However, there is still room for improvement and Member States need to invest more in their existing collection and sorting infrastructure in order to meet the new and more ambitious recycling targets, including on aluminium packaging.
Director General Gerd Götz said: “Europe should promote the use of innovative sorting and separation technologies and make funding and other financial incentives available to all materials, not only to plastics. This would improve the uptake of used materials in Europe and reduce scrap leakage to third countries, certainly if waste exporters have to prove that the recycling is performed under the same environmental, health and safety conditions as in Europe. The latter should be addressed in the upcoming revision of the EU Waste Shipment Regulation”.
European Aluminium also encourages the EU Commission to propose a recycling target for construction and demolition waste before 2024. On top, Europe should further clarify the proposed harmonized reporting of national recycling statistics including the quantities of metals recycled from incinerator bottom ash.
About European Aluminium:
European Aluminium, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the aluminium industry in Europe. We actively engage with decision makers and the wider stakeholder community to promote the outstanding properties of aluminium, secure growth and optimise the contribution our metal can make to meeting Europe’s sustainability challenges. Through environmental and technical expertise, economic and statistical analysis, scientific research, education and sharing of best practices, public affairs and communication activities, European Aluminium promotes the use of aluminium as a material with permanent properties that is part of the solution to achieving sustainable goals, while maintaining and improving the image of the industry, of the material and of its applications among their stakeholders. Our 80+ members include primary aluminium producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminium; producers of recycled aluminium and national aluminium associations are representing more than 600 plants in 30 European countries. Aluminium products are used in a wide range of markets, including automotive, transport, high-tech engineering, building, construction and packaging.
For further information, please contact: communications@european-aluminium.eu, +32 2 775 63 63