“Permanent materials” pave the way to a true recycling and resource efficient society

Brussels, 24 January 2012 – Metal Packaging Europe (MPE), in partnership with Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy MEP, today launched the concept of “permanent materials”, those preserving their material qualities with infinite recyclability. Such materials boost a resource efficient society and have the capability to provide a key and unlimited natural asset for future generations.

Committed to and united through a sustainability manifesto, the metal packaging sector is ready to take on this challenge and has set itself a target to increase the European average metal recycling from close to 70% to 80% by 2020.

The challenge is not one of the industry alone. Recycling is a legal, national and societal responsibility.

“We invite Member States, policy-makers and stakeholders to join forces to meet the 2020 MPE target. Our industry is bold in its ask and we believe we can even exceed this target”, said Anders Linde, Secretary General of Metal Packaging Europe.

“No metal packaging should go to landfill, Linde added. If we integrate the permanent materials concept in key legislation we stand to reap the benefits associated with the kind of efficiencies only our sector can deliver.

“The scarcity of resources forces the EU to become radically more efficient, and recycling is paramount to achieve this goal,” said Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, MEP, and Rapporteur on the Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe for the European Parliament’s Environment Committee.

Gerbrandy further argued that “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 the economic crisis.”

“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,” said Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment.

Potočnik added, “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.”

Metal Packaging Europe showcased its ambitious concept at the Museum of Natural Sciences today and challenged the engaged stakeholder community to revisit recycling as a priority issue. Only through partnerships with all actors in the waste management chain, including consumers, can we achieve a true recycling society.

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Notes to the editor

About Metal Packaging Europe

Metal Packaging Europe (MPE) represents the united interests of producers and suppliers of rigid metal packaging across Europe.

Bringing together European and National industry associations, Metal Packaging Europe is the voice for the industry ensuring the benefits of metal packaging are understood and promoted.

Members of MPE are the European Trade bodies across the metal packaging industry including the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging (APEAL), Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME), the European Aluminium Association (EAA) and the European Metal Packaging (EMPAC),

For more information, visit www.metalpackagingeurope.org

Keynote speakers & panellists attending the launch event:

Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy
Member of the European Parliament (ALDE)
& Rapporteur on the Roadmap for a Resource Efficient Europe

Janez Potočnik (video message)
Commissioner for the Environment

William Neale
Member of Cabinet, Janez Potočnik, Commissioner for the Environment

Anders Linde
Secretary General, Metal Packaging Europe

Reinhard Bütikofer
Member of the European Parliament (the Greens)

Stéphane Arditi
Product and Waste Policy Officer, European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

Richard Inns
PEC Partnerships / British Standards

Laurent Musy
President, Specialty Sheet Constellium; Chairman, EAA Packaging Group

Rob Beltz
VP Commercial US Steel Košice; President, APEAL

The debate is moderated by Frédéric Simon, Editor at Euractiv.com

For media enquiries
Please contact Patrick van Leeuwen on [email protected] or +32 475 964 772.