At the online General Assembly of European Plastics Converters last week, members of EuPC, the European association of plastics converters elected Renato Zelcher to serve a second term as president.
In his acceptance speech, Zelcher, CEO of Crocco SpA, noted that ‘the period we are living is one of the toughest that Europe, the world, is experiencing since post-war times’. But, he said, the sheer necessity for plastic products emerged very clearly during the pandemic.
“Thanks to the efforts of many of our Members, we have managed to guarantee the availability of safely packaged products, personal protection equipment and essential products for the medical and pharmaceutical industry.”
He announced that EuPC was launching a new communication project called #Plastics4People, in an attempt to, as it were ‘relaunch our sector and our companies, continuing in the never-ending effort to continue on a virtuous path towards a true circular economy.’
Zecher’s second term will end in 2022.
Also re-elected: Claude Clement, President and CEO Europe at Plastic Omnium Clean Energy to a second term as EuPC Treasurer and third term as chair of the EuPC Automotive & Transport Division; and Myriam Tryjefaczka, sustainability and public affairs director EMEA at Tarkett, to a second term as chair of the Building & Construction Division.
Achim Grefenstein, senior vice president Group R&D at Constantia Flexibles, was voted into the role of as chair of the Packaging Division, replacing Mr. David Baker. In addition, the General Assembly elected Andres Lantero Moreno, president of Grupo Lantero, as a member of the EuPC Steering Committee.
EUMEPS - the association for European Manufacturers of Expanded Polystyrene (EUMEPS) and the voice of the expanded polystyrene (EPS) industry - joined EuPC as a full member and will join MORE, the digital platform to monitor the use of recycled polymers in the European plastics converting industry, to report the use of rEPS by plastic converters.
Although COVID-19 is creating problems in the plastics recycling markets, the plastics converting industry in Europe is very much united in ensuring transparency in the use of recycled materials.