aluminium packaging


Genuine Sustainability


or just ‘Greenwashing’? By Stefan Glimm, GDA Managing Director.


Every aspect of modern industry involves the emission of CO2. Today more than ever before, the environmental impact of our packaging products is right at the top of the ethical agenda. In principle this is a good development, but is still only the tip of the iceberg. In the long-term, we need to ensure the responsible handling of all natural resources.


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ncreasing pressure is being applied to the international political stage, over claims to genuine “sustainability”. A challenge that the German Association of the Aluminium Industry (GDA), has also taken up.


20 Packaging Gazette


It’s a matter of defining a balance between the marketing and strategic demands of the industry on the one hand and ecologically responsible manufacturing processes on the other. For aluminium in particular, this means using both the available and recycled resources of the metal with entrepreneurial forward-thinking coupled with a sense of social responsibility, in keeping with the dictates of supply and demand. Certain indicators are


barely relevant and can even be misleading. For example the claim of a “recycled metal content” is no help in reaching this target, since the degree to which a product contains recycled metal does not go far enough in making an impact


on the sustainability discussion. GDA Managing Director Stefan Glimm explains: “In our opinion, this form of ‘greenwashing’ is an inadequate response when dealing with the justified demands of consumers for information and it does not address ecological issues in a responsible manner“.


Green Cycling is the true alternative As a virtually infinitely recyclable material, aluminium has always occupied a future-oriented role. About 75 percent of all aluminium ever made has been in the metal loop since the year 1888, constantly being reprocessed for new products. This has been confirmed by the global “Material Flow Analysis” reviewed by the Yale University in


the USA, published annually by the International Aluminium Institute.*


For metals such as aluminium, sustainable action means repeatedly reprocessing the material and feeding it back into the cycle for new applications. Previous surveys conducted by the Organisation of European Aluminium (OEA) and the GDA demonstrate that the overall recycling rate for aluminium in the European Packaging Sector is 50 percent.


Sources of raw material right on our doorstep Aluminium can be found in a vast range of products, which represent important sources of the raw material for our future. The average life of aluminium


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