Close the Glass Loop Launches in The Netherlands

Launch of a New National Platform for Close the Glass Loop in The Netherlands

The Netherlands becomes the first new country to join the Close the Glass Loop partnership since its inception back in June 2020, joining ranks with fellow national platforms in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The kick-off meeting of Close the Glass Loop Netherlands took place on the 29th of February 2024 at the Ardagh Group glass factory in Dongen. The event brought together stakeholders from the Dutch glass collection and recycling value chain, expressing a strong commitment to achieve a 90% glass collection for recycling target by 2030.

Commenting on the launch event, Joost Lavèn, Chair of Stichting Duurzaam Verpakkingsglas (Sustainable Packaging Glass Foundation), said: “To reduce energy consumption and CO₂ in the chain of both single-use and reusable glass, bottles and jars are already made from as much recycled glass as possible, i.e. from cullet. But the bottleneck to increasing recycled content even further is often a shortage of good quality cullet. The glass cullet is there, but it leaks out of the cycle and that is a waste of valuable raw materials. We are convinced that more collaboration across the glass packaging value chain will lead to the collection of more glass and therefore more cullet available for glass production.”

On behalf of Close the Glass Loop partners, the Secretary General of FEVE (European Container Glass Federation) Adeline Farrelly, stated: “We are proud to welcome Close the Glass Loop Netherlands to the network. From the beginning we have always insisted on taking a bottom-up approach, to tailor solutions to every local reality. But we are also convinced that the long tradition of glass collection & recycling in the Netherlands will be beneficial to other partners and this exchange of best practices is a key part of our work to enhance sustainability throughout the glass packaging value chain, across Europe and beyond”.

By fostering the exchange of best practices between national platforms, and by promoting joint initiatives in the separate collection of glass packaging from households and the hospitality sector, as well as supporting investments that maximise glass recycling outputs towards closed loop glass packaging, Close the Glass Loop aims to mobilise all the relevant stakeholders towards achieving a 90% glass collection for recycling rate in the EU by 2030 – up from the rate of 80,1% achieved in 2021.
 
All information on the Close the Glass Loop Netherlands