As previously announced (see Plasteurope.com of 18.01.2019) European Plastics Converters (EuPC, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsconverters.eu) has launched the online platform "MOnitoring Recyclates for Europe" (MORE). The platform is to register the plastics converting industry’s efforts to reach the European Commission's target, which aims to ensure that 10m t of recycled plastics are incorporated into new products on the EU market by 2025 (see Plasteurope.com of 24.01.2018). Both mechanical and chemical recycling volumes will be monitored.

In February and March 2019, the platform was tested by a select number of companies in Europe and is currently available in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. These six countries cover almost half of the recycled polymers used in Europe. The plan is for additional EU countries to have access in May and June, with the entire EU accessing the platform by summer 2019. To start, MORE will be available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, with the aim to cover most of the official EU languages by the end of 2019.

The MORE platform is a work in progress, and the EuPC foresees strong participation and collaboration with companies as vital for it to function well. EuPC will therefore work closely with its members on this. National coordinators, such as German plastic packaging industry association IK (Bad Homburg; www.kunststoffverpackungen.de), have also been appointed in several countries so far. OEMs, brands and polymer platforms are encouraged to register volumes through increased value chain collaboration. EuPC managing director Alexandre Dangis says "our industry has the opportunity to showcase its efforts towards a circular plastics economy and be more transparent on the volumes of recycled polymers they use in converting infrastructures."