Sleever® commits alongside PETCORE Europe to accelerate the circular economy of PET

Our participation to the PETCORE Europe annual conference 2026

📍 Rome – PETCORE Europe Annual Conference 2026

As every year, Sleever® participated in the PETCORE Europe Annual Conference, a major event for stakeholders involved in the PET circular economy across Europe.

During this strategic meeting, industry players, processors, recyclers, solution providers, brands, and regulatory experts discussed the sector’s industrial and environmental challenges.

The objective was clear: to organize the European industry’s response to market challenges (such as traceability, as well as improving collection, better sorting, and more efficient recycling of PET).

Thus, Sleever®’s participation in this event aligns with a clear approach: to actively contribute to collective thinking and concrete actions, particularly to improve the recyclability of packaging.

PETCORE Europe: A key player in PET circularity in Europe

PETCORE Europe is the European association dedicated to the development and promotion of PET recycling.
It brings together the entire value chain: material producers, processors, packaging manufacturers, recyclers, brands, and institutional actors.

Its role is central. PETCORE Europe structures a harmonized approach to PET recycling across Europe, taking into account industrial realities, regulatory requirements, and environmental challenges.

PETCORE Europe was born out of a simple realization: the transition to a circular PET economy can only succeed through coordination, common standards, and collective innovation.

Specifically, the association pursues several key objectives:

• Improving PET collection across all European markets
• Optimizing sorting quality, a critical requirement for effective recycling
• Ensuring packaging compatibility with existing recycling systems
  
  
• Supporting European regulatory changes, particularly in circularity and transparency
• Encouraging eco-design, so packaging is conceived from the start for recycling

Therefore, PETCORE Europe acts as a true structuring player for the entire PET value chain.

Thomas Etien’s new role: Sleever®, a driver of change

In this context, Sleever® is proud to announce the election of Thomas Etien, Marketing & Circular Economy Director, as Co-Chairman of the Label Working Group of PETCORE Europe.

This working group plays a strategic role. It aims to improve the compatibility of labels, particularly sleeve labels, with PET sorting and recycling streams.

Through this appointment, Thomas Etien represents Sleever® at the heart of technical and industrial decisions.
He embodies Sleever®’s commitment to being a driving force in packaging transformation, balancing:

• industrial performance
• regulatory requirements
• recyclability of packaging
• and brand expectations

“This election is both an honor and a responsibility. We are committed to advancing the group’s work to develop labels that are increasingly compatible with recycling systems in Europe.”
Thomas Etien – Marketing & Circular Economy Director, Sleever®

This nomination confirms the recognition of Sleever®’s expertise and its active role in building a sustainable and operational PET circular economy.

Sleever®, sustainably committed within the PET sector

At Sleever®, we believe that only a collaborative approach will sustainably evolve sector practices.
This is why our involvement in PETCORE Europe fits within a long-term vision. We aim to anticipate developments, co-create standards, and actively support the environmental transition of packaging.

In summary, being an active member of PETCORE Europe, and now co-chairing a key working group, affirms our commitment to being at the heart of change, alongside all stakeholders in the value chain.