Stientje van Veldhoven, State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Government of Netherlands will formally open the conference at 10.10 am on 24 April.
The conference’s opening session will feature three high profile speakers giving an overview of the legislative landscape for plastics recycling and the latest plastics recycling figures. Speakers include Carlo Pettinelli, Director for Consumer, Environmental and Health Technologies, European Commission and Davor Škrlec, MEP, European Parliament. Cyrill Gutsch, Founder, Parley for the Oceans will focus on initiatives to tackle plastic marine litter.
The distinguished panel of speakers in the Technical Plastics session includes Anne-Cecile Turner, Sustainability Programme Leader, Volvo Ocean Race, Michiel De Smet, Policy Officer – Eco-Innovation at The European Commission and Hakan Özkan, R&D Specialist – Material Technologies Department, Arçelik A.Ş, internationally known for its Beko domestic appliance brand. Together they will explore the challenges and opportunities linked to the collection, sorting, recycling and uptake of technical plastics recyclates.
The remainder of the conference will use a series of further material focus sessions to explore the latest industry themes including plastics recycling technology and innovation, materials and the dynamic economics of plastics recycling. This will include sessions looking at recycling of PET, PVC, LDPE, HDPE and Pots, Tubs & Trays.
The PET material focus session will cover the launch of the PET trays recycling and the pioneer water marking project whose aim is to improve sorting. The PVC session will examine current collection schemes and recycled volumes of PVC across Europe as well as the legislative framework for PVC recycling.
The opening session on the second day will focus on the successful collection and recycling schemes of LDPE in Ireland as well as current EU recycling rates of the material. This following session will examine the use of recycled HDPE and PP by brand owners and the future of HDPE recycling. The final session will focus on the recycling potential of mixed plastics, providing insights into difficult to sort and recycle Pots, Tubs and Trays.
Finalists for the first Plastics Recycling Awards Europe will also be announced in a ceremony taking place at 13.30 on 25 April, the second day of the event. Finalists’ products will be displayed in a dedicated feature area at the show. The awards recognise and celebrate achievement throughout the scope of the European plastics recycling industry. They offer an insight into current developments in recycled material usage, product design and innovative manufacturing. Award categories include: Best Recycled Plastic Consumer Lifestyle Product of the Year; Best Building & Construction Product; Best Recycled Plastic Packaging Product; Best Technology Innovation in Plastics Recycling and Plastics Recycling Ambassador of the Year.
