In Albania today, most glass packaging is used once and then ends up in landfills. It’s a loss for the environment, for the economy, and for all of us who believe that great quality and sustainability should go hand-in-hand.
At Altenberg Brewery, we started with a simple question: How can a small brewery make a big, positive difference?
That question led us to the LoT23 Lab of Tomorrow: Enhancing Circular Glass Packaging Solutions in Albania, where we had the opportunity to learn, collaborate, co-create ideas, and win second place in the program.
From this journey, we created ReuseAglass, Albania’s first closed-loop glass reuse system, redefining how glass is used, reused, and valued in a circular economy.
It’s a big milestone for us, and for our country, but the idea behind it is beautifully simple: keep glass in use longer, reduce waste, lower costs, and build something good together. Importing bottles is expensive. Throwing glass away is wasteful. Albania deserves a better way, one that protects our land, supports local industry, and helps small businesses grow sustainably. And we believe reuse is a meaningful step toward that future.
A circular glass system means:
- less glass in landfills
- lower packaging costs for producers
- more local jobs and local value
To make this possible, we chose a European-standard reusable bottle designed to be reused up to 50 times, and we invested in a washing and sanitizing system that prioritizes:
- smart energy and water use
- safe microbiological cleaning practices
- high hygiene and quality standards
During this process, we were supported through the LoT23 Incubation & Grant Management Program, implemented by Partners Albania in the framework of EU4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities, a joint initiative co-financed by the EU & BMZ and implemented by GIZ Albania in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment. This ecosystem of support helped us refine the model and bring ReuseAglass to life.
The result is a system that works, one that supports both the environment and local businesses. It’s not just about beer. It’s about responsibility, community, and the place we call home. We didn’t build this system just for ourselves; we built it to share. Our doors and our know-how are open to any local business that wants to join the reuse movement. If we can do it as a small, passionate brewery, others can too, and we would love to help. Because when change is shared, it grows faster and stronger.