Bulgaria’s glass packaging value chain has come together to launch Close the Glass Loop Bulgaria, a new national platform designed to accelerate glass collection and recycling and strengthen collaboration across the entire glass packaging value chain.
The initiative brings together Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) organisations, glass manufacturers and recyclers, waste management operators, municipalities, as well as brands and fillers under a common framework to improve glass packaging circularity and support the transition towards a more resource-efficient economy.
As Bulgaria continues to advance its waste management and circular economy agenda and implement European targets on packaging waste prevention, separate collection and recycling, the new platform will serve as a catalyst for coordinated action, knowledge-sharing and innovation.
The launch follows the international workshop “Towards a Close the Glass Loop Action Plan for Bulgaria”, held in Sofia on 16 September and co-organised by Close the Glass Loop, ECOBULPACK Bulgaria and BA Glass Bulgaria. The event brought together more than 50 experts and decision-makers from across the glass packaging value chain to identify priorities and opportunities for improving glass collection and recycling performance.
Participants highlighted the need to expand and optimise separate collection systems, strengthen cooperation between municipalities and EPR organisations, improve monitoring and data collection, increase citizen engagement, and unlock additional glass collection opportunities from the hospitality sector. They also explored the implications of new European packaging legislation and exchanged best practices from across Europe.
The newly established platform will build on these discussions to develop a national Close the Glass Loop Action Plan for Bulgaria.
“Bulgaria already has a strong foundation, with 84% of glass packaging waste collected for recycling according to Close the Glass Loop data for 2024,” commented Georgi Slavchev, Procurator of ECOBULPACK, the coordinator of the initiative. “Through Close the Glass Loop Bulgaria, we have an opportunity to bring stakeholders together around a shared roadmap, strengthen cooperation and identify practical solutions that further improve both the efficiency of the system and the quality of glass collected for recycling.”
BA Glass, which operates two glass packaging production facilities in Bulgaria, is supporting the initiative as part of the broader European partnership driving glass circularity.
“Every bottle collected for recycling is a valuable resource for Bulgaria’s glass industry,” said Marco Marques, Managing Director South-East Europe, BA Glass. “Increasing the collection of high-quality recycled glass allows us to produce new glass packaging with a lower carbon footprint, while reducing our dependence on virgin raw materials. By working together across the value chain, we can strengthen Bulgaria’s circular economy, support local manufacturing and unlock the full potential of glass recycling. Close the Glass Loop Bulgaria is an important milestone in that journey.”
The launch of Close the Glass Loop Bulgaria marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration bringing together stakeholders across the glass value chain to identify system gaps, align priorities and drive measurable improvements in glass collection and recycling. Through the initiative, Bulgarian partners will benefit from access to the expertise, tools and best practices developed across the European Close the Glass Loop network, helping accelerate progress towards higher collection rates and greater circularity.
Welcoming the new platform, Vanessa Chesnot, Head of Public Affairs & Product Policy at FEVE, speaking on behalf of the Close the Glass Loop partners, said: “We are delighted to welcome Bulgaria as the 15th national Close the Glass Loop platform. National action is where real progress happens. By working together, sharing experience and learning from one another, we can move closer to our shared ambition of achieving a 90% glass packaging collection-for-recycling rate across the European Union by 2030.”
See more at www.closetheglassloop.eu