The Opaque and functional bottles Working Group concentrates on the upcoming issue of heavily coloured or opaque PET, which is in fast growing demand in new applications such as milk bottles, detergents and family care products. Currently recyclers process mainly transparent or light coloured PET. 

Therefore, the goal of the WG is to find and ensure an end-of-life strategy for these products and to promote their image.

Objectives

  • Analyse Opaque and functional bottles market
  • Define, validate anddisseminate best collection/sorting and recycling technologies
  • Map current and new recycling paths for Opaque and functional bottles
  • Learn from best-in-class examples and practices
  • Optimise DfR Guidelines

 

Task Forces

 

  • Task Force 1: 

    Map Member States collection systems, MRF/recyclers, mechanical recycling capacities, technologies, and current outlets.

    Design/create possible solutions and scenarios to close the gap identified in existing MS and MRF/recyclers to enable additional material being mechanically recycled through suggestions on technologies, investments, proposed business models and/or existing best practices/successes in the market

    TF Leader: Karsten Fristch - REPI

  •  

    Task Force 2: Identify sorting technologies available and NEW for non-clear (opaques) PET granules and flakes to input the market (recyclers and outlets) of options, with a clear identification of “best sorting for” and gaps of certain technologies. Connect with TF1 with the aim to close the gap in technologies identified and identify investments needs.

    TF Leader: Johan Kerver – Filigrade

     

  • Task Force 3: Identify quality requirements for non-clear (opaques) PET granules and flakes to input the market (recyclers and outlets) of options on potential opaque RPET granules and flakes

    Identify, foster and connect with companies willing to use RPET from non-clear bottles streams. Overlap activities with position paper and call for recyclers and outlets for white opaque PET containers as well as non-clear (coloured opaques) and functional PET bottles

    TF Leader: Alessandra Funcia – SUKANO and Raphael Jaumotte – PETCORE

     

  • Task Force 4: Run a pilot recycling process for non-clear (opaques) white and/or coloured and functional PET containers including selected outlets processing of respective RPET granules/flakes. Report the findings and outcome. Define next round conditions

    TF Leader: Vincent Collard - CITEO

     

  • Task Force 5: Link with Monomer Recycling group of PETCORE – liaise with them for best practices alignment and selection criteria of products profile that should preferably go into monomer recycling technologies (low volume opaque coloured bottles and containers, textiles, multi material trays, etc)

    TF Leader: Raphael Jaumotte - PETCORE

 

Past Events

Petcore Europe ODR Meeting - 4-5 December 2019 in Emmen (NL)

The ODR Working Group Members met in Emmen to update and inform on the developments of the different Task Forces and in other topics relevant for the WG. More than 50 participants joined the event. The meeting was followed by a visit to Cumapol and Morssinkhof.

Petcore Europe ODR Sustainable Label Workshop - 2 October 2018 in Brussels

Petcore Europe hosted its ODR Working Group meeting on 2 October 2018 at the Bluepoint Business Center in Brussels. More than 50 participants and expert speakers from all major European label and sleeve suppliers made the meeting a big success.

Petcore Europe ODR Workshop - 2 February 2017 in Brussels

The ODR Workshop that was organised on 2 February 2017 gave an overview on the current status of markets, collection, sorting, best practices, applications and end markets in the field of opaque and difficult to recycle PET containers. It marked the starting point for the new Petcore Europe ODR Working Group and thus aimed at bringing all participants to a common knowledge base. 

 

Working Group Agenda (per annum)

  • Up to three physical meetings of the Opaque and functional bottles Working Group
  • Regular meetings / conference calls of the different Task Forces

  • Organisation of public workshop

 

 Registration

All interested industry representatives are welcome to join this Working Group. For Petcore Europe members access to the WG is for free. External companies are charged a contribution fee for covering the functioning costs.

To apply for WG membership and to get an overview on the membership fees, please contact us via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Members

The group is comprising participants from the complete PET value chain including among others resin and masterbatch producers, packaging material producers, label producers, associations, sorting and recycling machine manufacturers, brand owners as well as EPR organisations.