Tesco, JLR and NHS to Address Plastic and Sustainability Issues at Interplas

The CPD-certified conference programme at Interplas 2021 will present a wide range of industry topics from renowned speakers within the industry and some of the UK’s largest trade buyers of plastic products and materials.

Whether it is the latest product innovations, regulatory updates, medical plastics, packaging, or addressing challenges regarding the sustainability of plastics, Interplas has curated topical sessions for everyone involved in plastics manufacturing.

This year’s programme taking place from 28-30 September at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, will be presented across two stages:

The Advancing UK Plastics Conference sponsored by Bole Machinery will see experts offer insights, opportunities and advice on how to work together as markets, trends and regulations continue to change. Speakers will discuss changes in the industry as a result of Brexit, COVID-19 and the net-zero targets. There will also be topics presented from experts in areas such as medical, automotive, construction, extrusion and digital technologies.

The Sustainability Stage sponsored by Coral Products is new for 2021. It will allow visitors to hear about some of the solutions for recycling and waste management issues, material innovations, and, importantly, a look at what is really deemed as ‘sustainable’ when it comes to plastics. This stage will also feature expert speakers from industry associations on the latest policy developments and funding available.

Conference Producer for Interplas, Charlotte Chambers, selected a few highlights:

Plastics Industry and Jaguar Land Rover in a Post-Brexit/COVID World

Presented by Ian Ray of Jaguar Land Rover (SME Plastics, Injection Moulding and Process) from 14:00-14:30 on 28 September

With automotive being one of the largest users of plastic, Ian Ray will explore the current trends and objectives in the industry. This talk will highlight how the market has changed so rapidly since COVID-19 and Brexit and how this will impact the plastics industry.

What are the Biggest Challenges of Switching to Sustainable Plastics?

Hosted by Dan Jarvis, Business Development Manager at Plastribution from 12:50-13:10 on day one of Interplas (28 September)

Whether to switch to sustainable plastics will be a decision that many organisations have to face, but how easy is it, and what are the difficulties that may come with this? Dan Jarvis answers these questions and explains how these plastics compare to the traditional plastics that processors have used.

Regulatory Landscape for the Plastics Industry Post-Brexit

By Dr. Anna Gergely, Director EHS Regulatory at Steptoe and Johnson LLP from 12:00-12:30 on 28 September

With over 20 years of experience in law firms and cutting-edge industry knowledge in environmental legislation, Anna will provide insight into the recent regulations affecting the plastics industry. Hear about regulations relating to the strategy for plastics in a circular economy, the EU green deal, the revised regulatory framework for bio-plastics and the recent development related to Brexit.

Women in Plastics: Attracting, Training Retaining and Talent

10:30-11:30 on 30 September

Women in Plastics, the initiative that recognises achievement, encourages development and supports diversity and equality across the plastics industry, will host a keynote panel session to discuss how companies can boost careers and talent in the plastics industry. The session will focus on attracting, training and retaining talent in the industry.  With diversity also being an important factor for employers, the panellists will discuss how they approach building out their teams and skillsets.

Post-Industrial Waste and Your Next Business Opportunity

Carlo Pattini, Product Sales Manager at Bandera, taking place from 13:00-13:30 on 30 September

In this talk, Carlo Pattini will discuss how you can process the waste coming from a first blown film extrusion phase on a co-rotating twin-extruder back into a blown film line to develop a second product.

There will be 40 free-to-attend sessions over three days. Other key seminars include:

• “Can Attention to the Design of Plastics in Medical Devices Support Patient Safety?” by Sarah Jennings, National Patient Safety Lead at NHS England & NHS Improvement
• Paul Earnshaw, Senior Packaging Manager, Tesco, will discuss “Packaging, Plastics and Sustainability – A Retailers View.”

Duncan Wood, Chief Executive at Rapid News Group, organisers of Interplas, concluded:

“The team have built a fantastic programme for September that is a real compliment to the technology exploration that will happen on the show floor. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the conference alongside our sponsors Bole Machinery and Coral Products.”

The full conference programme including detailed information on all talks and speakers is available to pre-registered visitors via the event. Click here to register for Interplas.