Plastic Recyclers Europe meeting focuses on newest Circular Economy package

From left, Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment & Maritime Affairs, and Ton Emans, PRE President.

Among the speakers presenting at the recently concluded Plastics Recyclers Europe Annual Meeting, held 18-19 June in Brussels, was Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment & Maritime Affairs.

Vella confirmed during the PRE event that a revised Circular Economy package is expected to be released by the end of 2015, and that the European Commission (EC) will focus on waste management, higher recycling targets, product design, and innovation and research as components of a new circular economy proposal.

"We estimate that—not just plastic—but waste prevention, eco-design, reuse, recycling and similar measures could bring net savings of 600 billion euro, or 8 percent of the annual turnover for businesses in the EU," Vella said.

PRE also shared results of a new study, "Increased EU Plastics Recycling Targets Environmental, Economic and Social Assessment," indicating that greenhouse gas savings achieved through the recycling of plastics could result in an 11.5 percent decrease in emissions for the EU plastics industry by 2025.

Additionally, the study reveals that to achieve the 60 percent recycling target for plastic packaging by 2025, as many as 250 new sorting facilities and 300 new recycling plants will be needed in Europe. These investments could create more than 120,000 jobs across the EU, PRE says.

Ton Emans, PRE President, observed, "As much as 74 percent of plastics waste in Europe is still not managed in a sustainable way, either by landfilling or incinerating it. The revised circular economy package shall focus on changing this situation. PRE is supporting the Commission in its work to close the loop."

During the PRE General Assembly, the board members as well as working group chairmen were re-elected to two-year terms (2015-2017). Ton Emans (CeDo) was re-elected as the PRE president and the LDPE chairman.

Re-elected PRE board members and chairmen include:

• Christian Crépet (Sorepla Industrie) Vice-President, Chairman of HDPE/PP Working Group, Vice-Chairman PET Working Group
• Casper van den Dungen (Poly Recycling GmbH), Vice-President, Chairman of PET Working Group
• Hans-Jürgen Berenbruch (Politex S.a.s. di Freudenberg Politex Srl), Treasurer
• Jim Armstrong (JFC Plastics), Board Member
• Roger Baynham (BPFRC), Board Member
• David Eslava (Eslavas Plasticos), Board Member
• Werner Kruschitz (Kruschitz GmbH), Board Member
• Paolo Glerean (Aliplast S.p.A), Board Member
• Ivan Ivanovics (Mikrolin Hungary Ltd.), Board Member
• Sebastien Petithuguenin (Paprec), Chairman of the PVC Working Group
• Michael Scriba (mtm plastics), Chairman of the Mixed Plastics Working Group
• Lukas Intemann (Ecoplast), Vice-Chairman LDPE Working Group
• Herbert Snell, (Mulitport) Vice-Chairman HDPE/PP Working Group, Vice-Chairman PET Working Group
• Ansgar Thees-Ovelgönne (Thees Recycling), Chairman Crates & Pallets Working Group

    
The PRE event was sponsorsored by EREMA GmbH, Next Generation Recycling GmbH, Vecoplan AG, Sorema srl, Lindner Resource GmbH and Herbold Meckesheim GmbH.