Aluminium is highly valuable, yet the separate collection rate for the aluminium packaging is can be improved. The benefits of sorting and recycling more aluminium packaging are, however, substantial.
Aluminium, the material of choice for a circular economy
Recycling aluminium has many environmental and economic benefits. Aluminium can be infinitely recycled without losing any of its physical and chemical properties. Recycling aluminium requires 95% less energy than its primary production and reduces greenhouse gases emissions to the same extent.
Packaging can help reduce food waste
Packaging prevents food from being damaged or spoiled, both along the supply chain and at home. This reduces the environmental impact of the products which otherwise would have been wasted. Packaging plays an important role in the circular economy. It is crucial to set up an optimal recycling scenario to keep as much material as possible in the loop!
Sorting more, without additional bags and containers
Adding these new items to a pre-existing system would provide a recycling solution for additional packaging but would also simplify waste sorting for citizens, all while avoiding multiplying bags and containers at home.
These aluminium packaging items, which are currently discarded together with municipal waste, should be collected by a system financed by responsible producers. This would reduce the weight and therefore the costs related to municipal waste management.
Ambitious legislative objectives
Belgium, European leader in packaging waste recycling, continuously responds to its citizens’ expectations to improve recycling. The regional governments adopted recycling targets for aluminium packaging which are more ambitious than those set at European level. The new 75% recycling target is a very positive measure for the development of a circular economy. It will stimulate investments in innovative and more efficient collection and sorting technologies.