The Recent BPF Sustainability Seminar
Thursday, 15 June 2023
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The annual Sustainability and Plastics 2023 seminar took place at the British Plastics Federation (BPF) HQ in London on 6 June 2023, gathering 50+ industry experts, researchers, and environmental alliances to address plastic sustainability. Dr Jason Leadbitter, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Inovyn and the Chairperson of the event, opened the floor with emphasising collaboration and knowledge sharing in tackling plastic sustainability and also provided an update on BPF’s position statement in achieving net-zero emissions.
Speakers at the event included Dr Camilla Carteny, Microplastics Technical Manager at Plastics Europe, who presented on Project Brigid – a multimillion euro-budget project investigating a human health risk assessment of microplastic ingestion. Stuart Hayward-Higham, Chief Technical Development & Innovation Officer, Recycling and Recovery UK at SUEZ, showcased the company’s strategic sustainability targets and emphasised the importance of finding a balance when it comes to the triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit.
Continuing the seminar's momentum, Professor Jonathan Cullen, Professor of Sustainable Engineering at the University of Cambridge, took the stage to present on the groundbreaking topic of "Game-changing LCA Plastics Data." His enlightening session explored how Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data can revolutionise the way we understand and address plastic pollution. Professor Cullen's insights offered fresh perspectives and potential solutions to effectively tackle the environmental impact of plastic waste.
Onto future perspectives, Dr Jacob Nathan, Co-Founder and CEO of Epoch Biodesign, gave insight into enzymatic technology for the ‘biorecycling’ of plastics. Dr Nathan highlighted that new technologies are required to close the loop and enable a sustainability plastics economy.
In her presentation, Dr Alison Stowell, Senior Lecturer in Organisation Work and Technology at the University of Lancaster, delved into “Weighing Social Responses to the Challenge of Waste Plastics” emphasising the need for collective action providing valuable perspectives on how society can effectively address the challenges of this issue.
Dr Robin Kent, Founder of Tangram Technology, the keynote speaker, talked on ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of sustainability manufacturing for plastics processors. The call to action for industry was clear – that steps regarding sustainability and energy management need to be taken now to be fit for the future.
The seminar ended with a successful panel debate where speakers and attendees discussed sustainability in plastics, the challenges and opportunities going forward for the industry.
Ready to learn more about Sustainability and Plastics? Please check out these useful links:
BPF’s Chemical Recycling Information Hub
BPF’s Position Statement on a Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution
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About
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the world's longest running plastics trade association. It was established in 1933 and has represented and promoted the UK plastics industry ever since.
The BPF has more than 500 member companies that span the entire plastics supply chain. These companies include plastics recyclers, polymer suppliers and distributors, additive suppliers, service providers, plastics processors, packaging manufacturers, equipment suppliers and more. The BPF groups represent over 80% of the UK plastics industry by turnover.
