Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium, stated:„Today’s vote in Plenary confirmed the essential role that measuring real recycling rates plays in achieving a circular economy in Europe. Already approved by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, the vote in favour of a single calculation method at input to the final recycling process will enable a real comparison of recycling rates between Member States.“
„However, we are disappointed that the European Parliament was not more ambitious regarding scrap exports and its treatment outside of Europe“, Götz points out. „Recycling more does not mean recycling at any cost. When valuable resources – such as aluminium scrap – are exported outside of the EU, it is imperative that it is recycled according to equivalent environmental, health and safety standards as those applied by recyclers in Europe.“
„That is why we call on the institutions to empower the European Commission to develop an adequate framework on how equivalent conditions would be determined and implemented“, Götz closes. „The trialogue negotiations must result in concrete measures that ensure fair conditions for exported waste for the Circular Economy Package to be a true success.“
