The organisers of Plastics Recycling Show Europe, taking place at RAI Amsterdam, the Netherlands on 22-23 June 2022, have published the event’s full conference programme. The packed two-day event draws together contributions from EU political leaders and every part of the plastics industry from major brands to material suppliers, plastics recycling machinery and equipment suppliers, plastics recyclers and waste management specialists. The scope of the conference extends from legislation to innovation in design, materials, manufacturing and packaging as well as recycling processes and technologies.

Prominent speakers from major brands at the plastics recycling conference include:

Mattia Pellegrini, Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Environment at the European Commission is the keynote speaker for the opening session, entitled Plastic Recycling – Piece of the Puzzle. This session aims to set out the bigger picture in the state of European affairs in plastics recycling and how, combined with other measures, plastic recycling is addressing the issue of plastic waste. Mattia Pellegrini is joined by Ton Emans, President, Plastics Recyclers Europe and Peter Goult, Circular Economy & Climate Change Mitigation Specialist at SYSTEMIQ.

Materials focus sessions on the remainder of day one will cover PET, PVC, Technical Plastics, and Chemical Recycling. Speakers in the PET Recycling session include, among others, Bastiaan Schupp, Legislative Officer, DG SANTE - DG for Health and Food Safety, European Commission. Highlights of the PVC recycling sessions include Thomas Diefenhardt, Scientist and Research Associate at Fraunhofer IVV who speaks on Recycling PVC from post-consumer flooring waste – Circular Flooring. Speakers in the chemical recycling session include Eastman’s Sustainability Manager Camiel Steffanie, who presents Building a better circle through molecular recycling.

The technical plastics recycling session will examine current market trends, new technologies and innovations in plastic waste coming from end-of-life and electrical and electronic equipment. Ceren Yargıcı Kovancı, Senior Specialist at Arçelik will share Innovative approaches to recycling of post-consumer plastic waste for home appliance products, and Jens Kathmann, Secretary General of Styrenics Circular Solutions will cover the future of food contact, circular design & low carbon footprint: circular polystyrene.

Day two of the conference will start with a session entitled Plastic Future is Circular, where speakers include Maja Desgrées Du Loû, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission, Paolo Glerean, Chairman of RecyClass and Joan Marc Simon, Executive Director at Zero Waste Europe. Maja Desgrées Du Loû will cover Revision of the European Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive. Joan Marc Simon’s presentation is entitled Building a two-way bridge between the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and the Global Treaty on Plastics.

The winners of all seven award categories at the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2022 will be announced in the conference theatre on the second day. All finalists will be showcased in the exhibition running throughout the event.

Completing the second day will be sessions covering polyolefin waste streams including LDPE, HDPE and PP recycling. Among presentations in the LDPE session will be An analytical toolbox to qualify and compare recyclates, given by Robert Brüll, Group Manager Material Analysis at Fraunhofer LBF. Speakers in the HDPE session include Amelie Weber, Sustainability Manager, A.I.S.E. (International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products) who will speak on How the detergents and maintenance products industry addresses circularity. Delivering the last of three papers in the PP recycling session is Franz Rittmannsberger, Head of Product Development and Laboratory at Prezero, who presents new insights in the recycling of PP.

PRSE event sponsors will also give papers on a wide range of innovations in plastics recycling technology and the wider circular economy. Recycled polymers supply organisation Poly to Poly is Platinum event sponsor, while Avient, BASF, BB Engineering, EREMA and Tomra Sorting are silver sponsors. Confirmed papers include:

Dr Jan Sultemeyer, Global Innovation and Recycling Manager will also present a paper from Avient.

Over 200 companies and organisations from across Europe have signed up to exhibit at what will be by far the largest PRSE show to date including: Avient, BASF, Berry Global, Cross Wrap, Evonik, FIMIC, Kraton Polymers, Krones, Milliken, NextChem, Pellenc ST, PreZero Polymers, Starlinger, Vecoplan and Veolia.

The Plastics Recycling Show Europe is designed specifically for plastics recycling professionals. It brings together key players from the plastics and recycling sectors to showcase innovative technology, share best practices, network and do business. The hybrid event in June will allow people unable to visit the event in person to view elements of the two-day conference programme via livestream, including the announcement of winners of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe. Online-only visitors will also be able to interact directly with exhibitors.