Sustainability
The fourth annual Plasticity Forum took place in Portugal this week (June 8th-9th 2015) bringing together business and industry representatives, experts in sustainability, members of the plastics processing market, political decision-makers and other thought leaders to debate the options available to curb the growing problem of plastics in the environment.
The unique event's focus on upstream solutions include the theme "Designing for Circularity, and Opportunities in Action That Now Need Scale."
Some of the research, developments and initiatives included
plastic bottles that can be upscaled into roof tiles for buildings in developing communities and building bricks made of hard-to-recycle plastic waste material which can be used in building construction.
A new report on the plastic-to-fuel industry was launched, with the report being put together by the Ocean Recovery Alliance and the American Chemistry Council to help unlock the potential for plastic-to-fuel technologies to deliver economic and environmental benefits, while delegates discussed a new Net Benefit Analysis report to be conducted with a number of Plasticity participant companies to show the broad economic, social and financial impacts of making decisions related to waste reduction, new design, material use, packaging changes and use of increased recycled content.
Delegates also discussed plastic made from algae, which can also be deployed along with the fish farming industry.
Dr Denise Hardesty, Senior Research Scientist with CSIRO's Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, said: "Plasticity creates the critical conversation we need to be having around the world. These experts are the people making changes and we collectively need these programmes, products, opportunities and solutions to scale across countries."
"The Plasticity Forum is an inspiring event, which brought together a real mix of business, industry and entrepreneurs who are all doing important work which will result in reducing the problems of waste in our communities, waters and ocean," added Steve Russell, Vice-President, Plastics Division, American Chemistry Council.
Doug Woodring, Founder of Plasticity, remarked: "The global reach, along with the positive, solutions-based approach, have made Plasticity Forum an event like no others, engaging those interested in managing and recovering plastic as a resource; scalable innovations in plastic that save money; use of new materials; designing for sustainability; and solutions for a world where plastic is used, but without its current footprint."
Patty Long, Senior Vice-President of Industry Affairs at the Plastics Industry Trade Association (SPI), said, "Beyond big ideas and divergent perspectives, there is very meaningful dialogue which revolves around some real and proven solutions to some key issues related to plastic waste."
