Our Commitment to Shaping a Better Future for Europe
EUMEPS leads the way for sustainable practices within the EPS packaging industry through its Smart Packaging Initiative. Central to our mission are groundbreaking projects like Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS), Créa-Styr, and RecoTrace®. Each initiative spearheads the advancement of responsible EPS material production, usage, and recycling. Let’s explore the impact of these initiatives on the EPS packaging industry and how they promote a greener Europe.
Preventing Pellet Loss with Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS)
Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS) embodies a concerted global effort aimed at eliminating resin pellet, flake, and powder loss. Our active participation in OCS testifies to our deep-rooted dedication to mitigating plastic pollution and safeguarding marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Through the adoption and promotion of OCS guidelines, our members are making tangible contributions towards minimising plastic leakage.
Our advocacy for OCS goes beyond mere participation, however. It involves an educational effort for stakeholders on the critical importance of handling and containment practices. Through workshops, training, and resource sharing, EUMEPS empowers the EPS value chain to implement best practices that significantly reduce pellet loss and align with Europe’s greater ecological goals.
Advancing EPS Packaging Recycling Technologies with the Créa-Styr Initiative
Créa-Styr is exemplary in EPS recycling innovation, aiming to redefine the recycling landscape for expanded Styrenics materials in France. Launched by ELIPSO and EUMEPS in December 2021, Créa-Styr’s objective is to achieve 100% collection and valorisation of XPS (extruded polystyrene) and EPS (expanded polystyrene) packaging in France. Supported by four French industrial leaders and EUMEPS, Créa-Styr represents the entire value chain in its commitment to enhance the recyclability of these materials.
The initiative not only aims to elevate the recycling rates of EPS, which is already substantially recycled in France (33% of packaging, with 49% for industrial and commercial packaging), but also to create a sustainable, efficient recycling system. By focusing on collaboration across the value chain, Créa-Styr and EUMEPS envision a future where EPS recycling is not just a possibility but a widespread reality.
Pioneering Transparency for Recycling in Europe with RecoTrace®
RecoTrace®, the multi-polymer data collection tool of PolyREC®, is a significant leap forward in the pursuit of recycling transparency and accountability within the European plastics industry. RecoTrace® meticulously records and monitors the recycling tonnages and the use of recycled materials across Europe, which enables companies to track their progress towards circularity.
As a committed member of PolyREC®, EUMEPS and its members contribute to the establishment of a trusted and traceable recycled plastics market. This ensures adherence to the highest standards of transparency and environmental stewardship across the entire plastics value chain, from production through to recycling. Aligned with the ambitious recycling targets of the Circular Plastic Alliance, this commitment significantly advances the European environmental agenda.