PCEP discusses sustainable plastics management at the Future of Polyolefins Summit
16 – 17 January 2019, Antwerp: Sander van Veen, Commercial and Supply Chain Director at Braskem Europe GmbH, participated as a speaker on behalf of PCEP at the Future of Polyolefins Summit in Antwerp. Van Veen discussed sustainable plastics management together with Ceflex and Neste representatives.
The conference focused on topics such as achieving sustainability and circular economy through production, design and recycling. Industry speakers shared best practices on how to speed up the recycling journey.
PCEP supports the European Commission’s recycled plastics campaign by committing 1m tonne increase by 2025
January 2019, Brussels: PCEP has updated its pledge as part of the European Commission’s campaign to see voluntary action ensure that 10 million tonnes of recycled plastics find their way into products in the EU by 2025. PCEP voluntarily committed to a 1 million tonne increase of recycled post-consumer polyolefin waste used in European products by 2025. The PCEP pledge is available on the European Commission Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform website. Find out more about PCEP’s voluntary commitments here.
PCEP Secretary General speaks at IdentiPlast
7-8 March 2019, London: PCEP Secretary General Venetia Spencer spoke at the 14th edition of IdentiPlast, Europe’s leading conference focused on the recycling and recovery of used plastics.
Venetia joined more than 50 speakers, all leaders in the field of plastics recycling and waste management, at the event in the QEII Centre in London. Spencer’s speech highlighted the importance of working together as a value chain to create a shared vision of a world where plastics waste is seen as a resource with multiple lives.
After the event, Spencer was interviewed on video, where she summarised PCEP’s mission and goals.
PCEP supports EuRIC’s Annual Conference 2019 – Implementing Circular Value Chains
13 March 2019, Brussels: Following the launch of EuRIC’s new plastics recycling taskforce, PCEP sponsored it annual conference on Implementing Circular Value Chains. The EuRIC conference highlighted the synergies between industries as all materials make the transformation to a circular economy. Eugenio Longo, Head of Sustainability & EU Affairs – Strategy & Group Development at Borealis and PCEP Vice-Chair, spoke at the event about expected changes to EU product policy framework and market frontrunners in designing circular products.
Secretary General highlights PCEP membership benefits at Public Policy Exchange debate
14 March 2019, Brussels: Venetia Spencer was a keynote speaker at the Public Policy Exchange debate ‘Tackling Plastic Pollution’ in Europe. Discussions ranged from current challenges around plastic waste through to stepping up plastics recycling. Spencer presented PCEP’s mission and vision, the benefits of polyolefins and the benefits of becoming a member of PCEP to the audience which comprised civil society, academia and governments.
PCEP Sec Gen discusses circular economy at ICIS World Polyolefins Conference
3-4 April 2019, Vienna: Venetia Spencer presented key aspects of the circular polyolefin economy, including how to develop end markets for recycled polyolefins, during a panel at the 8th ICIS World Polyolefins Conference in Vienna. The conference, focussing on the state of the market, gathered together the full value chain to exchange market insights and strengthen collaboration.
PCEP publishes 2030 Roadmap, the journey to delivering our voluntary commitments
April 2019, Brussels: PCEP adopted its 2030 Roadmap highlighting activities identified by the polyolefin value chain as necessary along the journey to a circular polyolefin economy. Activities are structured around PCEP’s three strategic goals of Enhancing Collection and Sorting, Innovating for a Circular Economy and Developing End Markets for Recycled Polyolefins, as well as supporting measures linked to understanding the material flows, communicating circular poloyefins, and developing a supportive regulatory framework for the transition. Reflecting the Roadmap 2030, PCEP has established six working groups for members to collaborate and deliver solutions.
Read more about the PCEP 2030 Roadmap here
PCEP at RecyclePlast – Driving a Circular Polyolefin System
7 May 2019, Madrid: Venetia Spencer presented the PCEP voluntary commitments and 2030 Roadmap at RecyclePlast. Spencer highlighted how crucial the collaboration of the full polyolefins value chain is in turning the current challenges into opportunities.
There are 1.7MT of rigid polyolefins (PP and HDPE) and 2.3MT capacity for LDPE in Europe according to Plastics Recyclers Europe 2018 data. Spencer encouraged all recyclers to engage with PCEP to transform our material system and grow European recycling capacity.
PCEP Secretary General at ChemPlast Expo: advancing the circular economy for polyolefins
8 May 2019, Madrid: Venetia Spencer also participated as a speaker at the ChemPlast Expo in Madrid, taking part in a panel with colleagues from Styrenics Circular Solutions, VinylPlus and the Iberian associations for plastics producers, converters and recyclers. Her presentation focused on PCEP’s mission and the need for the full polyolefin value chain to collaborate to drive real change in a short time frame.
PCEP Secretary General presents regulation for circular economy at PEPP 2019
25-27 June 2019, Berlin: Venetia Spencer introduced the audience at PEPP 2019. the 27th Polyethylene-Polypropylene Chain Global Technology & Business Forum to the raft of EU policy and regulations related to plastics. Spencer explained how PCEP is working to ensure long-term sustainability of polyolefins through driving a circular polyolefin economy.
Following her presentation, Spencer was interviewed by Chemical Week editor Rob Westervelt for ChemWeek TV.
Other presenters at the event shared insights into global market trends, followed by discussions on sustainability and how the world is moving towards a circular economy. According to IHS Markit, 30% of the polyolefin market could be replaced by post-consumer recyclates in the next decade.
PCEP Chairman David Baker represents industry at launch of Circular Plastics Alliance
20 September 2019, Brussels: PCEP joined more than 100 public and private partners from the plastics value chain in signing the declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance, which promotes voluntary actions for a well-functioning EU market in recycled plastics.
The declaration lays out how the alliance will reach a target of 10 million tons of recycled plastic used to make new products every year in Europe, by 2025. This target was set by the European Commission in its 2018 Plastics Strategy, as part of its efforts to boost plastics recycling in Europe.
PCEP Chair David Baker was one of the industry panellists discussing ‘Why the Alliance matters’ and PCEP Secretary General Venetia Spencer, together with Henk Pool of CEFIC, presented the proposed governance structure in the afternoon working session for signatories.
The Commission’s First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, responsible for sustainable development, said: “We have given the world the best moral example in terms of offering solutions for a planet that is now at its wits’ end. Your alliance is very much part of this moral imperative. I offer my personal and institutional cooperation to all of you.”
PCEP represents polyolefins at first Steering Committee of the Circular Plastics Alliance
11 December 2019, Brussels: PCEP Sec Gen Venetia Spencer took part in the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the European Commission’s Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA).
As the value chain organisation for polyolefins, representing 50% of the European plastics market and committed to the transformation from a linear to a circular economy, all Working Groups of the CPA supported PCEP holding a permanent seat on the Steering Committee to represent the polyolefin perspective.
PCEP is active at all levels of the CPA, including the working groups on Packaging, EEE, Automotive, Building&Construction and Agriculture as well as the working group dedicated to developing a new monitoring tool to provide all actors with reliable information on the plastics material flow in Europe.
Polyolefin Circular Economy Platform (PCEP) 