Sponsored content
The beverage carton industry has welcomed the latest figures on beverage carton recycling in the EU, showing that 48 per cent of cartons were recycled in 2017. This is up from 47 per cent in 2016 – and is the 12th consecutive year the rate has increased.
Commenting, Annick Carpentier, Director General of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) in Brussels, said: “ACE members have a long-standing commitment to recycling. Having very much welcomed the revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and the introduction of mandatory separate collection of packaging waste, ACE is working with national beverage carton associations to support recycling performance across Europe.
“To this end, the members of ACE – BillerudKorsnäs, Elopak, SIG, Stora Enso and Tetra Pak – have decided to launch a new platform to coordinate the industry’s engagement in recycling across Europe. We are pleased to see that recycling of our cartons is growing each year and we are convinced that this trend will continue with the implementation of EU waste legislation and new industry initiatives.”
Richard Hands, Chief Executive of ACE UK, which represents carton manufacturers Tetra Pak, Elopak and SIG Combibloc in the UK, said: “Our sector is committed to supporting and promoting beverage carton recycling and the continuing upward trend in the EU carton recycling rate in 2017 is good news.
“We in the UK also welcome the revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive – which the UK Government has already said it will implement. Our focus continues to be on building access to recycling facilities for all. Last year we hit our milestone of 66 per cent of UK local authorities (two out of three) collecting beverage cartons at kerbside for recycling, and this is now at 67 per cent.”
Hands added: “When recycling bring banks are included, 92 per cent of local authorities now collect beverage cartons for recycling, ensuring that the vast majority of households in the UK have access to a carton collection system.”
ACE UK has a dedicated recycling team, which offers advice and support to local authorities and community recycling networks wanting to collect cartons. An interactive map on the ACE UK website also helps residents find out where and how they can recycle beverage cartons in their area.
To find out more about beverage carton recycling, visit the ACE UK website.
Get our weekly digest
resource.co article ai
How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.