Plastics Recycling Awards Europe Entry Deadline Extended to 6 December

Judging Panel Announced for 2020 Awards

Organisers of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2020 have extended the entry deadline for all seven award categories until Friday 6 December 2019. The judging panel for the 2020 awards has also been announced.

The award categories are: Automotive, Electrical or Electronic Product; Building & Construction Product; Household & Leisure Product; Plastic Packaging Product; Product Technology Innovation; Recycling Machinery Innovation and Plastics Recycling Ambassador.

Judges of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2020 include Gian de Belder, Principal Scientist and Packaging Technologist at Procter & Gamble, who earlier this year received the award for Plastics Recycling Ambassador 2019. The other judges are Professor Kim Ragaert of Ghent University, the materials scientist and leading authority on plastics recycling; Willemijn Peeters CEO of Searious Business and Plastics Recycling Ambassador 2018; Karen Laird, Editor of Plastics News Europe; Rune Thoralfsson, Owner and Director of plastic film recycler Norfolier GreenTec AS and Ton Emans, President of Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE).

“Now in their third year, it is a privilege to see the awards attracting so many entries from across the different sectors. Our panel of judges draws together experts from across the whole industry as well as academia, the media and environmentalism, ensuring they are uniquely qualified for the difficult task of selecting this year’s winners in all categories,” said Ton Emans, PRE President.

Product designers, design engineers, plastics processors, manufacturers, brand owners, retailers and suppliers of recycled plastic products are all invited to enter. Successful finalists will be announced in January 2020 and showcased during both days of the Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE). The awards will be presented to the winners on the second day of the show, 26 March 2020, at the RAI, Amsterdam.

All product awards entries must be made of at least 50% recycled content and must be recyclable. The Automotive, Electrical or Electronic Product Award is open to interior and exterior plastic components incorporated into the design of cars, trucks or motorcycles, as well as to electrical and electronic equipment such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, mobile phones and computers.

The Plastic Packaging Product Award is open to new plastic packaging of consumer products. The judges will be looking for innovative and recyclable packaging designs that also feature recycled plastic content.

The Household & Leisure Product Award is open to any recycled plastic product that improves everyday life including consumer goods, sports and leisure equipment, fashion accessories and furniture.

Entries for the Building & Construction Product Award are open to both interior and exterior products including flooring, piping, window frames, insulation, roofing, doors, wall coverings, landscaping products and outdoor furniture. The judges will be looking for durable products that also add value in terms of sustainability.

The Plastics Recycling Ambassador Award will be presented to an inspirational individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the European plastics recycling industry in the last 12 months. The category is open to industry professionals, politicians, civil servants, NGO activists, citizens or any other individual dedicated to advocating for and advancing the recycling of plastics.

The Product Technology Innovation Award recognises innovative technology that has brought significant improvements in the production of recyclable plastic products or incorporating recycled materials into the production of new products. The Recycling Machinery Innovation Award recognises innovative machinery that increases the efficiency and effectiveness of plastic recycling processes.

The Plastics Recycling Show is a pan-European, free-to-attend exhibition and a conference designed specifically for plastics recycling professionals. It brings together key players from the plastics and recycling sectors to showcase innovative technology, share best practice, network and do business. A broad cross section of the industry is represented at the event including plastics recycling machinery and equipment suppliers, plastic material suppliers and compounders, pre-processors, plastics recyclers, waste management specialists and industry associations.