Source - www.apeal.org

Mr Chris Homfray of Metal Packaging Europe during an interview said that Metal Packaging Europe has been formed by a group of senior executives to take a lead in the metal packaging chain. It is an umbrella organisation that brings together the metal producers, the metal packaging manufacturers and four trade associations APEAL, EAA, BCME, EMPAC.

The structure of Metal Packaging Europe is unique. Horizontally it covers all sectors of rigid metal packaging (beverage, food, general line and specialty, closures) and vertically it brings the support of the two major metals, aluminium and steel. This powerful combination provides a united voice for the industry and is a force for combined action across the whole chain.

Q - What are the target audiences of MPE?

A - Our target audiences are clearly defined. On the one hand, policy makers and key influencers at both European and national levels. On the other hand, the supply chain, our customers and retailers.

Our aim is to establish metal packaging as a recognized and valuable contributor to sustainability in public policy and throughout the supply chain.

Our industry has established track record of sustainable materials management. Once metal is extracted from the earth’s crust and refined, the application may vary but the permanent nature of the material allows for an infinite sustainable use in new products and applications, which is what differentiates it from other materials.

“Metal Packaging Europe has the knowledge to make a real difference. We must and will play our part and communicate the benefits of the metal material loop.”

Q - MPE promotes metal as a permanent material that should be considered as a permanently available resource. What is meant by a permanent material?

Metals are elemental and as such are permanent.

Conventional thinking in public policy regards the extraction of metal ores as depletion of the earth’s resources and therefore sometimes compares metals unfavorably with “renewable resources”. Such thinking ignores the fact that metals, once produced, are not lost. They merely move location and appear in different forms.

Let me put that another way. Metals are formed into packaging or other product applications. Once these product applications reach the end of their useful life, the metal from which the product applications were formed, can be recycled and used again to make another product application. This cycle can be performed an infinite number of times while always retaining the metal properties. This is the permanent nature of metal.

Conversely, other materials go through one or more recycling spirals but ultimately they reach the point of final disposal and are either land filled or incinerated for energy recovery.

Q - Metal Packaging Europe’s members have agreed upon a “sustainability manifesto.” Can you tell us more about that?

We have an agreed strategy to use our resources in the most efficient and accountable way possible.

Because of the permanent nature of our metal materials we have a vision that no metal packaging should go to landfill. We will strive to keep all metal packaging in the material-to-material loop and have already established significant projects to ensure the availability of metal as a permanent resource.

We have an average European recycling rate of 70% for metal cans (steel and aluminium) and have committed to a target of 80% by 2020.

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