Diversity in Plastics Kickstarts Industry-Wide Inclusivity Action Plan

Rapid News Group is proud to announce the launch of Diversity in Plastics, a new initiative to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the plastic industry.

In an industry that struggles with a paucity of skills, recruitment looms large as a concern for moulders and other processors. The promotion of a culture of diversity – of age, ability, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation – is one of the drivers that will help to start closing the skills gap.

The action plan kicks off with a survey of the industry, in an attempt to understand how the sector approaches DE&I. The survey is available here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2V2VT56

The intention of the survey is to establish how well the principles of DE&I have been accepted and understood across the plastics manufacturing landscape. From there, the team behind British Plastics & Rubber magazine, and InterplasInsights.com, hope to be able to establish a set of key objectives for plastic processors and other key stakeholders to adopt, either as a starting point, or in conjunction with their own, pre-existing in-house DE&I programmes. These objectives will become known as the ‘Pledge for Diversity in Plastics’, and will give employers a tangible way to demonstrate their commitment to their place of work.

Dave Gray, Head of Content for the plastics portfolio at Rapid News Group, said: “It’s no secret that the plastics industry in the UK has a way to go in terms of representation. However, this survey, and the wider Diversity in Plastics initiative, is not about exposing something that is already well-known. Rather, it’s a forum designed to draw out tangible, productive ideas and strategies for helping to close the skills gap, by encouraging people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds into the sector.”

The survey is entirely anonymous, and is not designed to disparage businesses who may be yet to adopt a fully-fledged DE&I policy. It is intended only as a means to gain an understanding of the current picture in employment.

Diversity in Plastics will also feature prominently at this year’s Interplas, the leading plastics event for the UK and Ireland, with a conference stream on Thursday 28 September.

The ambition for the meeting – which is open to all visitors and exhibitors at Interplas – is to announce the findings of the survey, and identify the key priority areas for recruitment and inclusive action.  

Diversity in Plastics is the natural evolution of the previous Women in Plastics initiative which was profiled at previous editions of Interplas.

Interplas 2023 will take place in Halls 3A & 4 of The NEC, Birmingham, UK, 26th-28th September. Visitors can register for free at www.interplasuk.com

About Diversity in Plastics

Diversity in Plastics is an industry-led initiative designed to promote a best practice approach to diversity, equity and inclusion in the plastics industry.

The aims and scope of the initiative include showcasing successful DE&I strategies via media reporting and industry conferences, researching and reporting on the state of employment in the sector, and creating a tangible, realistic action plan for progressive employers.

The initiative was established under Rapid News Group, organisers of the Interplas trade show, and publishers of British Plastics & Rubber and InterplasInsights.com.

Interplas 2023 – Innovation Happens Here

Interplas is the UK's definitive and leading plastics event and brings together the full range of technologies, materials, processes from across the plastics sector.

Celebrating 75 years of Interplas, the 2023 edition will see over 400 exhibitors present solutions, products, machines and ideas from across the entire spectrum of moulding and forming as well as materials, automation, contract manufacturing and supporting technologies including software, testing, inspection, surface treatments and much more.

Over 12,000 attendees, predominantly from the UK manufacturing community will attend to discover solutions to their challenges, to make connections and source the latest technologies and innovations.

Alongside the show floor a world class Interplas Insights conference programme will take place encompassing a wide range of current themes important to the plastics industry including sustainability, the circular economy, digitisation, skills, diversity, recycling, materials development, technology advances, regulation and much more.

These learning opportunities, alongside a matchmaking programme and networking opportunities, will ensure a visit to Interplas offers tangible value to an attendee immediately with intelligence and contacts that will continue to pay dividends long after the show closes.

Interplas 2023 will take place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, UK from 26-28 September 2023. Visit www.interplasuk.com for more information.