TCEP

Modus Operandi and Testing Procedures

Modus Operandi

The main objectives of the Petcore Europe PET Tray Recyclability/Circularity Evaluation Platform EPTP) are:

  • To evaluate the Recyclability/Circularity of PET thermoformed container technologies / products;
  • To allow new PET thermoformed container innovations, while at the same time minimizing economic and environmental consequences for the European PET recycling industry;
  • To promote the Recyclability/Circularity of PET thermoformed containers on the market by:
    • Proposing European harmonized guidelines for PET tray (and other thermoformed containers) Recyclability/Circularity 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 harmonized 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.

Petcore Europe has a resolute policy of complying with competition law in all its activities.

For more detailed information you may read the attached Modus Operandi file

Testing Procedures

TCEP has developed a test protocol for testing innovative PET trays. This protocol is designed to evaluate PET packaging solutions that generally end up in the PET recycling stream and that can possibly influence the quality of - or even disturb - the recycling system. Our experts will use the information provided by the applicant, combined with its expertise and knowledge database, to determine the optimal test program, using up-to-date testing methods that produce qualitative and/or quantitative test results. Products that pass the tests should not experience any problems during tray-to-to tray recycling. 

Laboratory analyses on the recyclability of new innovative PET trays or non-PET components can be relatively expensive and lengthy (sometimes with lead times of several months between sampling and results). Assessing test results can in some cases be complex and requires a certain level of expertise, which can be considered inconvenient for early assessments

For this reason, TCEP has developed a series of rapid and low-cost techniques for the quick assessment of PET trays (Quick Tests). All Quick Tests include a complete explanation of the scope, techniques, equipment and test conditions, as well as a “summary interpretation” detailing how to use the test results. Quick tests can either be executed at the internal laboratory facility or by an independent accredited test laboratory.

Conclusions from quick tests results are purely indicative, and may not be considered as an advice, a recommendation or a formal approval by TCEP. For a complete assessment, further tests are required to highlight all possible effects of innovative PET trays on the recyclability of collected trays into r-PET, the processing of the r-PET into products and the final product properties. Please contact TCEP for more information.

Testing procedures can be found in the links below.

Accredited laboratories

The specific test program must be executed by independent testing laboratories that have been approved by TCEP.  These laboratories provide expertise on specific materials and perform testing using modern test equipment according to the TCEP protocol and evaluation requirements. To find out which testing laboratories have been accredited by TCEP click here.

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