FEVE celebrates 40th anniversary; new executive team to shape future of container glass industry

This year FEVE celebrates its 40th anniversary, while electing its executive team for the 2017-2019 term of office.

FEVE – the European Container Glass Federation is pleased to announce the election of its executive team for the 2017-2019 term of office at its Annual General Assembly held in Brussels. These appointments mark a significant milestone as FEVE celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Johan Gorter, Chief Executive Officer of Ardagh Glass Europe, has been elected as President of the association: “It is an honour to take on this role and I believe that collectively, we can continue to drive innovation and sustainable growth in the glass packaging sector,” said Mr. Gorter. “In the last fifteen years, the consumption of products packed in glass has increased across Europe despite a challenging economy. To ensure that we retain our leadership position I will support our industry in its efforts to drive technology advancement, energy efficiency and circular economy policies which are critical for Europe’s future,” he added.
Jean-Pierre Floris, Chairman and CEO of Verallia Group, has also been elected Vice-President. Commenting on the new FEVE presidency, Jean-Pierre Floris said: “I am delighted to support the new FEVE president. The executive team remains as committed as ever to grow the competitiveness of the container glass industry and deliver sustainable packaging solutions to our customers.”

Today, the container glass industry is a pioneer of the EU circular economy. In the last 15 years, bottle-to-bottle glass recycling has increased by 139% throughout Europe. Some 1.5 million bottle banks are available across the region and an average of 74% of Europe’s glass is collected for recycling, marking the success of separate collection for glass introduced in Europe in the 1970s and the commitment of the industry to attain the highest recycling rates.

The industry is also an important contributor to the European economy. Every year over EUR 600 million are invested in energy efficiency, decarbonization and upgrades over the 160 manufacturing plants across Europe, contributing to maintain a total of 125,000 direct and indirect jobs. Investments in innovation help to modernise production processes and to produce glass bottles that are 30% lighter than 20 years ago, while still maintaining their product preservation qualities, recyclability, and innovative design.