A powerful new cross-industry alliance has been established to transform the recycling landscape for small aluminium packaging. Spearheaded by the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) and Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE), the coalition aims to ensure that high-volume, small-format items are effectively collected, sorted, and recycled at scale across Europe.
The alliance officially commenced operations on January 1, 2026, as a direct response to the stringent mandates of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). While aluminium generally leads in recycling, smaller formats have historically lagged, often ending up in incineration rather than being recovered for high-quality reuse.
Under the upcoming PPWR requirements, packaging must be “recycled at scale” to remain compliant. Currently, much of Europe’s small aluminium waste is only partially recovered through incinerator bottom ash treatment — a process that will not meet future regulatory benchmarks. While modern, large-scale sorting facilities are technically capable of separating these small formats, the alliance notes that infrastructure remains inconsistent across European regions. By joining forces, 16 major stakeholders across the value chain intend to identify and eliminate these regional bottlenecks.
“We need to join forces in the value chain to make progress particularly with small aluminium packaging in order to achieve the PPWR targets,” explained Guido Aufdemkamp, executive director of EAFA. “Together, we will identify the respective bottlenecks in waste management which hinder a good recycling performance and conduct relevant studies supporting practical implementation of measures.”
The timing of the alliance is strategic. As more European nations implement Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) for beverage containers, traditional household recycling streams are losing a significant portion of their volume. This shift provides an operational window for sorting plants to refocus their technology and efforts on other formats, such as semi-rigid containers and flexible foils.
The alliance consists of a notable group of producers, brand owners, and suppliers, demonstrating a collective industry will to secure the circularity of aluminium. The 16 confirmed participants include brand owners and fillers such as Nestlé Nespresso, JDE Peet’s, Lindt, Bel Group, and Delica; packaging and foil producers like Amcor, Constantia Flexibles, Speira, Alupak, and Symetal; and specialist suppliers including Actega, Al Invest, Aluminium Féron, Datwyler, Formika, and Laminazione Sottile.
By leveraging national recycling organisations and conducting targeted pilot studies, the alliance plans to turn technical potential into practical reality. The ultimate goal is a circular economy where even the smallest lid or capsule is reliably recovered and returned to the production cycle at high quality.
