Early bird registration for the Petcore Europe Thermoforms Conference 2026 is now open. The event will take place on 18–19 June in Valencia, Spain, under the title "Beyond the theory, towards PPWR compliance: Real Recycling of PET trays?". The organiser announces the participation of experts and representatives of key links in the value chain related to thermoformed PET packaging, in particular trays. The conference will focus on practical steps towards meeting the requirements of the PPWR regulation in the areas of collection, sorting and recycling of polyethylene terephthalate trays.
The Petcore Europe Thermoforms Working Group has been active since June 2015 and brings together more than 80 companies and organisations, including key stakeholders from the packaging sector and waste management. Within this framework, several events dedicated to PET trays have been organised to date, including online workshops on recycling thermoformed PET products in 2019, as well as in-person Thermoforms Conferences in 2023 in Italy, 2024 in Spain and 2025 in France. Petcore Europe is currently focusing on supporting the value chain in meeting PPWR targets for collection, sorting and recycling, in order to achieve at least 30 percent recycled content in PET trays.
Conference scope
The programme of the Thermoforms 2026 Conference will cover preliminarily defined thematic blocks related to the practical implementation of regulatory and technical requirements for PET trays. Among the announced topics are PET value chain targets for collection, sorting and recycling that are necessary to reach the levels set in PPWR. An overview of Petcore Europe activities is also planned, in particular those of the Thermoforms Working Group and the Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP), which deals with the assessment of tray circularity.
An important part of the programme will be devoted to presentations on the collection and sorting of thermoformed PET products as the first key step towards a circular economy. Updates on tray recyclability will be presented, as well as an overview of the ongoing standardisation work within CEN related to the revision of published standards. Another important topic will be the standardisation of design for recycling and recyclability assessment methods in connection with PPWR requirements.
The conference will also address the application of EU Regulation 2022/1616 on functional barriers as a novel technology and the consequences of its implementation for PET tray packaging. The programme will further include discussion of recyclability assessment systems, including recyclability scoring as provided for in PPWR.
Participants and presenting organisations
During the conference, representatives of companies, associations and research institutions involved in the development and recycling of thermoformed PET packaging will take the floor. Among the speakers announced by the organiser are Anaip, Anarpla, E&ACT, Aimplas – Technological Institute of Plastics, Klöckner Pentaplast, and, tentatively, Ecoembes and ICIS.
The first day of the event is planned to be dedicated to presentations by experts in the field of thermoforming, combined with panel discussions involving industry representatives. The organiser also announces the participation of high-level speakers who will present the goals and expectations of the European Commission regarding PET trays in the context of EU regulations.
Second day programme and demonstration part
On the second day of the conference, Petcore Europe plans a visit to laboratories certified in the application of tray recyclability protocols. Participants will be able to familiarise themselves with practical methods for assessing the circularity of thermoformed packaging and with the ways of verifying packaging made from recycled PET for food contact applications.
The organiser emphasises that this in-person event will focus in particular on the collection and sorting of thermoformed PET products as the first stage towards circularity. A demonstration exercise is planned, using a real material flow and covering consecutive stages of the circular route for this type of packaging.
During the conference, other Petcore Europe initiatives related to thermoformed products will also be presented, such as the Tray Circularity Evaluation Platform (TCEP) and standardisation work on design for recycling and recyclability assessment in connection with PPWR. Recyclability scoring as provided for in PPWR and the practical implications of the new requirements for the design and placing on the market of PET trays will also be discussed.
Event format and opportunities for sponsors
The Thermoforms 2026 Conference is planned as a physical event with the participation of representatives of the packaging, recycling and waste management sectors. The organiser expects that the exchange of experience between participants from the PET value chain, including packaging producers, recyclers, collection and sorting system operators, and industry organisations, will play an important role.
The event will be financed by organisations and companies acting as sponsors. Petcore Europe invites interested parties to get in touch in order to join the group of conference sponsors. According to the organiser, the sponsor's name and logo will be placed on all communication materials related to the event, including invitations, agendas, press releases and the website, and will also be promoted during the conference itself. For more information on the sponsorship package, interested parties can contact the organiser at maria.trofimova@petcore-europe.org.
The conference aims to become a platform for exchanging information on how to practically implement PPWR requirements for PET trays, with particular emphasis on material recycling, design for recycling and ensuring adequate quality of recyclate for food contact applications.
