Metal Packaging Europe asks for stronger commitments regarding the verification of recycling data.

Metal Packaging Europe, the umbrella organization representing the united interests of producers and suppliers of rigid metal packaging across Europe, released today (19th June 2013) results of an unprecedented external audit on the quality of the statistics used to report annual recycling rates for rigid steel and aluminium packaging.

 In view of the upcoming debate on the review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste directive MPE asks for full transparency and uniformity on the collection methods and reporting of recycling data.  As a first step to further improve the credibility of its own recycling data MPE has decided to verify its rigid steel and aluminium packaging recycling data by an external consultancy, Eunomia.

Eunomia analyzed the 2010 recycling data as yearly provided by the steel and aluminium sectors and concluded that the published data were robust and had a solid base building on statistics as good as the organizations could be expected to acquire for the majority of the Member States.

Therefore, the 2010 recycling result, 71% for steel packaging and the 66% for aluminium beverage cans resulting in an overall 70% for rigid metal packaging, represent a clear ‘pass’ in terms of what APEAL[1] and EAA[2] set out to do.

In the meanwhile APEAL has released its 2011 figures, validated by Eunomia, which show a European average of 74%. EAA will soon release its 2011 figures.

“The overall rigid metal packaging figure of 70% for 2010 provides a high benchmark as to what has already been achieved but also sets the platform for ambitious plans to raise this figure to 80% by 2020” says Maarten Labberton, chair of the MPE recycling committee.

MPE also calls upon the European and national statistic authorities to improve their reporting of the annual packaging and packaging waste data. Today, data only become available after two years and the reporting formats differ from country to country, making it difficult to properly assess and compare the recycling performances of the individual Member States. On top Member States are allowed to report the quantities collected for recycling instead of what is actually used as input in the recycling process.

European citizens have the right to know that their efforts to separate the main packaging waste fractions for recycling are paying off and that industry is keeping its promises to improve their recycling results year on year.

Anders Linde, Secretary General at Metal Packaging Europe said: “This was such a needed exercise and I’m proud that the metal packaging sector is the first sector to give full transparency on its figures and how they are collected. Too often the data quality is rather poor and reporting mechanisms are everything but transparent. Yet, these are essential for the formulation of ambitious environmental policies, as they provide the realistic potential that can or cannot be achieved.”

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About Metal Packaging Europe

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

 Metal Packaging Europe is the voice for the industry ensuring the benefits of metal packaging are understood and promoted.

 MPE is the rigid metal packaging umbrella organization uniting  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),