New analysis from Close the Glass Loop shows that more than 680,000 tonnes of glass packaging are still not being recycled across the European Union, despite steady overall progress. The shortfall is highly concentrated, with just 14 EU Member States responsible for most of the remaining gap to meet mandatory recycling targets.

Using the latest data reported by Member States to Eurostat, the study evaluates progress against current and future EU obligations, including the 75% glass recycling target for 2030. While average recycling rates at EU level continue to rise, the findings reveal an uneven landscape, where a limited number of countries remain significantly below the required threshold.

In total, these 14 countries must recycle an additional 680,000 tonnes of glass packaging per year to reach compliance. This concentration highlights that the challenge is not systemic across Europe, but rather localised, making targeted action both necessary and effective.

Glass remains one of the most circular packaging materials, as it can be recycled indefinitely without loss of quality. However, differences in collection systems, sorting efficiency, public participation, and recycling capacity continue to influence national performance.

Close the Glass Loop is using this data-driven insight to focus its efforts where they can deliver the greatest impact. By supporting underperforming countries through targeted collaboration and knowledge sharing, the initiative aims to strengthen glass collection, improve sorting quality, and expand recycling capacity. Closing this gap will be critical to ensuring that glass packaging remains a cornerstone of Europe’s circular economy ambitions.

The full study is available here.