Nestlé, Lindt & Sprüngli and Amcor are among 16 companies backing a new European alliance aimed at improving the recycling and circularity of small aluminium packaging formats. Launched by the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) in collaboration with Flexible Packaging Europe, the initiative seeks to address one of the most persistent challenges in aluminium recycling: the loss of small-format packaging within existing waste management systems.

Although aluminium is widely recognised for its strong recyclability credentials, EAFA estimates that only around 60% of aluminium packaging is currently recycled in Europe. Smaller formats, such as coffee capsules and lightweight flexible packaging, are particularly vulnerable to being missed during collection and sorting, resulting in valuable material being incinerated or only partially recovered.

The new alliance, which officially launches on 1 January 2026, aims to close this gap by improving collection, sorting and recycling processes across Europe. By retaining aluminium within the industrial loop, the initiative supports a more circular economy in which material value is preserved rather than lost. This is especially important given that aluminium foil delivers resource savings across its entire lifecycle, often exceeding the resources consumed during its production.

According to EAFA Executive Director Guido Aufdemkamp, collaboration across the value chain is essential to meeting the objectives of the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). He emphasises that the alliance will identify bottlenecks in waste management systems, commission targeted studies and leverage national aluminium recycling networks to support practical, scalable solutions.

The regulatory pressure created by the PPWR is accelerating the need for action. While some advanced sorting facilities are capable of separating small aluminium formats, this capability is not yet consistent across all European markets. At the same time, the expansion of deposit return schemes for beverage containers is reshaping household recycling streams, creating new opportunities for sorting plants to focus on other aluminium packaging formats.

Companies participating in the alliance represent the full aluminium and packaging value chain, including foil producers, flexible packaging suppliers, brand owners and fillers. This end-to-end involvement ensures that recyclability considerations are integrated into packaging design from the outset, rather than addressed only at end-of-life.

By fostering collaboration between material producers, packaging converters and major brands, the alliance aims to deliver higher recycling rates, improved material quality and a more resilient circular economy for aluminium packaging across Europe. The initiative reflects a shared industry commitment to tackling sustainability challenges collectively and aligning innovation with regulatory and environmental goals.