Petcore Europe Newsletter Q2 - 2019 |
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Follow the latest news of Petcore Europe. This is the second quarterly newsletter of 2019 featuring news about the Petcore Europe Conference 2020, updates from our working groups, advocacy activities, the Single Use Plastics Directive and much more. |
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Focus on Petcore Europe Advocacy and the G7 Summit in Metz |
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Dear Petcore Europe members and contacts, For the past two years, Petcore Europe has been reinforcing its finance and working groups. Since June 2018 we have strengthened our advocacy activities. Our round table discussions in the European Parliament and the Circular Plastics Alliance (see next news item) increased our contacts with policy makers. Petcore Europe had the honor to be invited by DG Environment and DG Grow (EU Commission) to showcase PET and its circularity at the G7 Summit on Marine Litter and the Environment in Metz, France. Stephen Short, President Petcore Europe and Christian Crepet, Executive Director Petcore Europe were in attendance on 5 May at the plenary meeting with all the ministers. The Group of Seven (G7), founded in 1975, consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For this year's meeting, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Fiji, India, Gabon, and Chile joined the group to discuss issues related to environment and marine litter. Christian Crépet introduced all the efforts and achievements of Petcore Europe representing the total PET value chain consisting of PET producers, converters and recyclers, brand owners, masterbatchers, label/sleeve suppliers, machinery producers as well as chemical and waste management companies since 1993. In consideration DG Grow requested that Stephen Short also represents the industry through his association with Indorama Ventures, representing the PET value chain at the producer and recycler level. This added the extra interest for the conference where brand owners and other industry players were present. The results achieved for PET beverage bottles remain unique, today 100 % of soft drink and water bottles are 100 % recyclable. This remarkable accomplishment has been recognized by the European Commission and has become a reference association model to help implement the EU Plastics Strategy. EU Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella thanked Stephen Short and Christian Crépet in a personal letter for their valuable participation at the summit (see picture below). As this example shows, since June of last year advocacy has become important for Petcore Europe in a world with zero tolerance for plastics. More has to be done, and is done in the Circular Plastics Alliance. Our association and its working groups will continue to work on design for recycling and we will make sure to pass on the messages to the relevant policy makers to make a fully circular economy for PET a reality. Yours sincerely, Christian Crépet, Petcore Europe Executive Director |
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Update from the Circular Plastics Alliance |
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As communicated earlier in June, the draft declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA) initiated by DG Grow in February 2019 was circulated. Petcore Europe President Stephen Short and Executive Director Christian Crépet, have been very active in the drafting sessions (two per working group) that are reflected in the different parts of the declaration: - Monitoring
- Collection and sorting
- Design for recycling
- Recycled content
- R&D and Investments (including chemical recycling)
The draft declaration will be finalized in another meeting on 3 July and its final version will be presented during a high-level event on 20 September 2019 in Brussels. |
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SUP Directive published in the EU Official Journal |
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On 12 June, The EU Directive 2019/904 of the European Parliament and the Council on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment (short - SUP Directive) was published in the EU Official Journal. The directive's entry into force will occur on 2 July. Member States will then have two years to comply. The Directive and its annex already describes the criteria for what is a single use plastic item. However, as this is not entirely clear, the Commission is expected to publish more specific guidelines on this subject by 2020. Petcore Europe will therefore try to assist in the creation of this guidance in order to avoid a consumption reduction for recyclable PET food containers. |
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Petcore Europe Conference 2020 - registration open |
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We are pleased to announce the Petcore Europe annual conference in Brussels from 5-6 February 2020 in the Crowne Plaza Brussels - Le Palace. Building on the success of 2019, with more than 275 visitors, we are happy to invite you to our 2020 conference over two days in a spacious venue in the heart of Brussels. The first day is dedicated to the perspectives and strategy of the PET value chain and EU legislation followed by a networking drink and dinner. The second day focuses on the latest challenges, trends and solutions in collection, sorting & recycling as well as circularity & sustainability issues. To find out more and register to the event please visit our website. |
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Petcore Europe reinforces itself - already 19 new members in 2019 |
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On 5 March 2019, we announced twelve new Petcore Europe members: Bandera, IFPEN, Point Plastic, AFA Dispensing, Remondis PET Recycling, CUMAPOL, RETAL Industries, PepsiCo, Mitsubishi Polyester Films, Suntory, Digimarc and Finat. In the meantime, seven further companies joined our association: Gneuss, Loop Industries, Bruno Folcieri, Guillin, SRF Limited, Multi-Color Corporation and Covinil. Petcore Europe now counts 76 members and represents the PET value chain more than ever. |
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Petcore Europe Working Groups improving PET tray circularity |
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The first semester of 2019 has been a busy one for the PET industry. Next to the Petcore Europe Conference 2019 in February and policy events in the European Parliament, Petcore Europe has also been looking for solutions in its PET Thermoforms Recycling and ODR (Opaque and difficult to recycle PET) Recycling Working Groups. With successful meetings (participation of 45+ companies in each working group) the stage is now set to continue working on circular PET. On 30 April, Petcore Europe welcomed more than 45 people to a new PET Thermoforms Recycling Working Group meeting focusing on tray to tray recycling trials, mono-material barrier films, de-lamination technologies, digital watermarks and design for recycling. Also Petcore Europe's ODR Working Group has been active. On 28 May, the task force leaders presented the ongoing work to more than 40 participants during a webinar focusing on sleeves and labels, improved collection and sorting including the HolyGrail project and eco-modulation (green dot fees) in different EU countries. Read more >> |
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In April 2019, DuPont Teijin Films announced the launch of its LuxCR™ depolymerisation process which upcycles post consumer waste into a variety of technically advanced BOPET films serving a wide range of applications and markets. Read more >> During this year's Plastics Recycling Show Europe in Amsterdam, Gian De Belder, Packaging Technologist at Procter & Gamble received the "Plastics Recycling Ambassador" Award for 2019. At Petcore Europe he is not only an active member of the Board of Directors since October 2017 but also the Chairman of the ODR (Opaque and difficult to recycle) PET Working Group. Read more >> In April 2019, Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe join Consortium founded by Carbios and L’Oréal to support the world’s first enzymatic technology for the recycling of plastics. Read more >> The pioneering project HolyGrail, led by Procter & Gamble and facilitated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, officially closed on May 23rd. Read more >> As of this autumn, AFA’s best-selling product – The OpUs Trigger Sprayer, will be offered in a new version that is made from Post-Consumer Recycled resin. Read more >> If you are Petcore Europe member and you have news you would like to share with the PET industry please let us know via management@petcore-europe.org. |
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Upcoming meetings 5 November 2019: Technical Committee Meeting in Brussels 6 November 2019: Board of Directors Meeting (for BoD only) in Brussels 5 December 2019: ODR WG Meeting (for WG members only) in Emmen, NL - details will follow soon
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