PETCORE Europe launched Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP)

The Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP), created by PETCORE Europe in 2021, was aslo supported by tray manufacturers, the European Association of Plastic Recycling & Recovery Organizations (EPRO) and Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE).

The mission of this platform is inspired by PETCORE’s Europe vision and is aiming to promote the implementation of a tray-to-tray circularity and recyclability, by driving the activities below:

1. To allow new PET thermoformed container innovations, while at the same time minimising economic and environmental consequences for the European PET recycling industry;
2. To evaluate the recyclability of PET thermoformed container technologies & products;
3. To promote the recyclability of PET thermoformed containers on the market by: 

• Proposing European harmonised guidelines for PET tray (and other thermoformed containers) recyclability that will be accepted across the whole value chain.
• Encouraging industry to test new PET tray concepts and/or materials before market launch according to the harmonised guidelines.
• Giving advice and recommendations to the different stakeholders.
• Sharing information and knowledge across the whole value chain considering competition law rules and respecting confidential information.

PET is the polymer champion in circularity and PET trays are already great performers in terms of the use of recyclates at the EU market. PET-based trays consist of approximately 55% recycled plastics and this is just the first step towards the PET circularity.

There is a growing interest in the collection of PET trays for specific recycling activities. Nonetheless, more work must be done. Besides separate collection and proper sorting of trays and other PET sheet-based products, design for recycling is still a major tool to boost the PET circularity.

In order to raise public awareness PETCORE Europe dedicated a separate page on PETCORE's EUROPE site to Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform, where the following documents can be viewed freely:

• DESIGN GUIDELINES 
• SECRECY AGREEMENT 
• APPLICATION FORM (for assessment of innovative packaging or packaging solution)
• MODUS OPERANDI (detailing how the platform operates)

The Platform consists of technical experts in the field of PET thermoforms design, production and recycling and works on the evaluation of existing technologies & innovations, also provides an independent and confidential assessment of the impact on the PET recycling processes across the EU.

To learn more, please follow the link.