Close the Glass Loop has officially launched a national platform in Albania, marking an important step in supporting the country’s accession efforts to the European Union through stronger glass packaging collection and recycling systems. By joining Close the Glass Loop, Albanian stakeholders gain direct access to a European network of partners and best practices, joining a community committed to mobilising the entire value chain towards achieving a 90% glass collection for recycling rate in the European Union by 2030.
Reflecting on the significance of this partnership, Sofjan Jaupaj, Deputy Minister of Environment of Albania, stated: “Albania’s accession path to the European Union requires strong alignment with European environmental standards. Launching this national platform with Close the Glass Loop is a concrete step towards improving glass packaging collection, boosting recycling performance, and building the partnerships needed for a more circular economy in Albania.”
The launch of the Albanian national platform marks the beginning of a collaborative effort to develop a national action plan on glass packaging collection & recycling, drawing on the experience and best practices of national platforms across Europe, and decades of investment into infrastructure, policies and communication efforts that have underpinned the European Union’s success story on glass packaging collection & recycling. The national platform will be coordinated by Green Recycling, a leading Albanian recycling and circular economy company. “We are proud to be part of the Close the Glass Loop community and to help build a stronger, more collaborative approach to glass collection and recycling in Albania,” said Arbër Xhihani, Managing Director of Green Recycling.
“Glass is an endlessly recyclable material and yet it is one of the least recovered in Albania. We look forward to working with partners across Albania and Europe to turn shared expertise into real progress for a more circular future.” The launch of the national platform follows a high-level workshop held on 17 June in Tirana, entitled “Towards a Close the Glass Loop Action Plan for Albania”, co-organised by Close the Glass Loop and Green Recycling.
It brought together European and Albanian stakeholders across the glass packaging value chain as well as national and local authorities, waste management and recycling operators and financial institutions, to exchange best practices and discuss practical pathways to improve glass packaging collection and recycling infrastructure in Albania. The workshop highlighted the urgent need to establish a robust Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) governance framework to support the transition towards a circular economy for glass packaging in Albania. Through experience-sharing sessions with established national platforms from Italy and Romania, participants explored how proven European models can be adapted to the Albanian context.
On behalf of Close the Glass Loop partners, Joachim Quoden, Managing Director of EXPRA, welcomed the new national platform: “Albania is joining a strong European network committed to improving glass collection and recycling. We look forward to supporting Albanian stakeholders as they build a practical Action Plan and strengthen the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility legislation to accelerate progress towards EU packaging recycling objectives.” All updates regarding the national platform and the developing Action Plan will be made available on the Close the Glass Loop website.