Asia PET summit in Jakarta spotlights EPR, rPET and EU compliance

The 15th Asia PET Series in Jakarta on Nov. 11-13 will bring together regulators, brands, recyclers and technology providers as Asia tightens packaging EPR rules and global compliance demands rise. The event will focus on Indonesia’s EPR roadmap, ASEAN policy gaps, PET and rPET economics, and EU packaging requirements that are reshaping recycling and circular plastics decisions.

Why it matters: - Asian packaging rules are shifting fast, and producers face pressure to prove collection, traceability and recycled-content compliance. - PET and rPET economics will affect whether circular packaging systems can scale commercially across Asia. - EU packaging rules are adding another layer of compliance for Asian suppliers serving international markets.

What happened: - Centre for Management Technology (CMT) will host the 15th Asia PET Series – Circular Plastics Packaging on 11-13 November 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. - The conference will focus on Indonesia’s move toward mandatory EPR, wider ASEAN packaging policies and the European Union’s PPWR. - The event will be held at Le Meridien Jakarta. - A separately bookable site visit on 11 November will take participants to a collection centre and PT Amandina Bumi Nusantara’s food-grade rPET recycling facility. - Further details and registration information are available here.

The details: - Agus Rusly, Director of Waste Reduction & Circular Economy Devt, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, will open the summit with Indonesia’s packaging EPR roadmap. - Dhedy Adi Nugroho of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia and Karyanto Wibowo of Danone Indonesia will discuss preparation for mandatory EPR. - Grab Indonesia, with Bestari and World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia, is developing and piloting a sustainable packaging playbook. - Bunga Karnisa Goib of WRI Indonesia will address that initiative. - Marc Cox of Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines will examine lessons from three years of EPR implementation in the Philippines. - Le Anh of DUYTAN Recycling will cover Vietnam’s EPR progress and polyolefin recycling challenges. - Wee Ching Yun of the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association will address Malaysia’s policy priorities. - Paolo Glerean, Chair of the Steering Board at RecyClass, will examine recyclability assessment under PPWR and the role of traceability and certification in compliance. - Richard Foong of NexantECA will discuss PET market margins, feedstock economics and capacity expansion amid geopolitical uncertainty. - Xin Nee Chua of OPIS, A Dow Jones Company, will cover Asian rPET supply and demand, trade tensions, pricing and competition between virgin and recycled PET. - A panel with Danone Indonesia, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia and Asahi Global Procurement Pte. Ltd. will examine whether Asia can build a reliable circular packaging system. - Alexander Bryan Sutjipto of Amandina Bumi Nusantara will discuss scaling food-grade PET recycling in Indonesia. - Prof. Marco Zhong of IQTC will present research on bisphenol A residues in recycled PET. - Nicholas Kolesch of Mura Technology Limited will examine feedstock development for advanced recycling in ASEAN. - Steven Burns of ReVentas will address dissolution recycling for food-grade recycled polypropylene and polyethylene. - Varun Karasia of Lucro will discuss converting post-consumer films into higher-value PCR resin.

Between the lines: - The agenda shows how packaging regulation is no longer just a policy issue; it is now a supply-chain and cost issue. - The mix of regulators, brands, recyclers and materials companies suggests the market still needs aligned standards before circular plastics can scale cleanly. - Food-grade recycling remains a credibility test for the sector because quality, safety and traceability have to hold at industrial scale.

What's next: - Attendees will use the Jakarta meeting to compare EPR rollout progress across Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia. - Companies exporting into Europe will likely keep investing in recyclability data, documentation and certification to meet PPWR expectations. - The event is expected to sharpen commercial decisions on PET, rPET, polyolefins and advanced recycling across Asia.