Brussels - Some 350.000 tonnes of beverage cartons were recycled in 2008, or over 13 billion in all. This represents a recycling rate of 33 percent in Europe (EU-27, Norway and Switzerland). Combined recycling and recovery rates reached roughly 675.000 tonnes (a 65 percent recovery rate). These figures reflect a clear long-term growth trend in beverage carton recycling since 1992 and a continuous improvement in the year 2008 despite very difficult markets conditions, says ACE, the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment.

Recycling of the beverage carton has grown steadily in recent years, reaching 33 percent in the EU-27, Norway and Switzerland in 2008, when 13 billion beverage cartons (350,000 tonnes) were recycled in paper mills. Signs of the decoupling of economic growth from environmental impact are beginning to emerge. Increases in beverage carton recycling have been on average 6 percent a year since 1999, outstripping market growth.

Though not subject to specific legal targets neither in the EU nor in most Member States, beverage cartons have achieved, at the manufacturers’ own initiative, a combined rate for recycling and energy recovery of 65 percent, says ACE.

The new lives assumed by the fibres from used beverage cartons are varied: cardboard boxes, cereal boxes and other packages for consumer goods, office stationery, gypsum board, textile and paper cores etc.

Recycled beverage cartons are used to produce packaging for consumer goods and are also valuable raw materials for office stationery and tissue papers. “This is one of our practical responses to tackling climate change”, commented Erika Mink, President of ACE, the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment.

“Our industry is dedicated to minimizing the environmental impact of beverage cartons through their life-cycle from cradle to grave, said Christian Verschueren, ACE Director General. End-of-use management is part of the sustainable performance of our packaging. That is why we are committed to increase recycling levels of beverage cartons”.

Quelle: ACE

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