The European Green Deal aims to turn Europe into the first climate-neutral continent by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. To achieve this ambitious goal, it is essential to protect and restore natural ecosystems and make better, more sustainable, use of...... Read more
The circular economy and resource management are at the centre of the European Green Deal. Key to this is the Circular Economy Action Plan, which includes a ‘sustainable products’ policy and a wealth of measures along the entire life cycle of products, such as initiatives...... Read more
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way many people think about food. Lockdown measures and the closure of foodservice outlets and the hospitality sector in many countries may have driven and increase in food consumption in the home, but in the EU, around 88...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, described the European Green Deal as ‘Europe’s man on the moon moment’, and the scale of the challenge would certainly put its success in the history books: a climate-neutral EU by 2050....... Read more
Anyone who has visited a supermarket in the last few weeks has probably noticed that sales of canned food have rocketed under the impact of COVID-19, to the extent that some suppliers have been forced to ration stocks to supermarkets. Thankfully the supply chain is...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke With a range of packaging materials on offer, consumers are increasingly aware of how their choices are impacting upon the environment. But longer term, a predicted global food shortage means that the preservation qualities of our packaging should be considered as...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke Steel has been used as a packaging material for over 200 years, but its versatility and potential for design will ensure it continues to be used for generations to come. While environmental impact, flavour retention and preservation qualities are all issues...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke As we move towards a circular economy, now is the time for brands, businesses and consumers to think seriously about their choice of packaging materials, and their true environmental impact. Gone are the days when you could only find pre-prepared soups...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke The reliability of data is critical when measuring EU member states’ recycling performance. The Circular Economy Package tackles this challenge with the proposed adoption of a common reporting methodology which will enable national data to be communicated in a uniform and...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke The steel packaging recycling loop is closed when steel scrap arrives at the steel plant to undergo the final recycling process – in this case the use of scrap in the steel-making furnace. To use steel scrap to produce new steel,...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke The purpose of separate collection systems is to deliver a waste stream that is kept separate to household waste, to facilitate a specific type of treatment. Source segregated or co-mingled, steel packaging is typically collected together with aluminium and plastic packaging,...... Read more
By Alexis Van Maercke In order to prevent steel packaging from being sent to landfill and to ensure the incineration of non-treated waste is regulated, APEAL believes source separation and separate packaging waste collection should be encouraged. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, separate collection...... Read more
