Improving Glass Recycling: New Guideline for Sustainable Packaging Design from BDE and bvse

Glass can be recycled well. In theory. In practice, the situation often looks quite different: coated surfaces, labels that are difficult to remove, or permanently integrated smart components can turn an apparently sustainable package into a problem in the recycling process.

The recyclability of bottles and jars is not determined at the sorting plant but much earlier – at the design stage. What looks good is not automatically good for the circular economy. This is precisely where BDE – the German Federal Association of Waste Management, Water and Circular Economy – and bvse – the Federal Association for Secondary Raw Materials and Waste Management – come in. Their newly published guideline for recycling-friendly packaging design shows how glass packaging can be conceived from the outset so that it does not become a burden at the end of its life cycle but a resource.

The paper is aimed at brands, manufacturers, packaging suppliers, and design agencies – in other words, all those who influence the design of glass packaging. The goal is to increase both the quality and quantity of recyclable glass, which can then be fed back into the cycle as a valuable raw material. And this is becoming increasingly relevant in light of legal requirements such as the Green Deal and new sustainability criteria in the context of licensing.

 “Our guideline makes clear how crucial it is to avoid hard-to-recycle packaging components already during product development,” says Dr. Andreas Bruckschen, Deputy Managing Director of BDE, adding: “By implementing targeted recommendations in close cooperation with all actors along the value chain, we can significantly increase glass recycling rates and strengthen the sustainable circular economy.”

The recommendations for better recycling are formulated in very practical terms. The most important points include:

• Less is more: reduce packaging elements as far as possible.
• Labels with care: use only small, easily removable labels – no plastic labels with waterproof adhesives.
• No aluminum roll-on foils: they complicate sorting and disrupt the recycling process.
• Transparent and related colors, preferably white, green, or brown.
• Avoid opaque decorations: coatings and finishes that cannot be detected or penetrated by sorting technologies should be avoided.
• No permanently integrated technical components: RFID chips, LED elements, and other electronic parts in glass packaging pose sorting problems and safety risks.

Glass packaging is highly recyclable if designed correctly. That means: as few additional elements as possible, clear separation of materials, and a glass form that empties easily. The closure system should also be completely detachable from the glass so that both can be properly disposed of and recycled.

The guideline is attracting attention at the European level. The European Federation of Glass Recyclers (FERVER) has expressly endorsed the initiative. This gives BDE and bvse confidence that the recommendations for modern glass recycling will gain importance and be implemented in the industry beyond national borders.

Further information and the guideline are available at the following link (German only): www.bde.de