BP&R March 2022 by BP&R Magazine

British Plastics

and Rubber

bp&r march 2022

The definitive insight on UK polymer markets goes digital CLEAN UP Plastic industry working to clean up the Mersey

PEPSI CHALLENGE Beverage brands make plastic bottle pledges

FACT CHECK Does plastic really create more food waste?

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What a treat(y)!

www.britishplastics.co.uk head of content: dave gray

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Head of Content

Dave Gray,

’m delighted to take the helm as Head of Content at BP&R and Interplas Insights – I’m no stranger to these brands, having worked on them back in the halcyon days of my youth. And what a time to re-join the plastics industry! In the face of unprecedented challenges – unstable resin prices resulting from global events, rapidly increasing sustainability legislation, and the ongoing disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic – the sector remains, nonetheless, positive. A global plastics treaty, spearheaded by the UN, is now officially a work in progress, having been agreed in principle at UNEA 5 in Kenya. I was so pleased to see the plastics industry throw it’s weight behind this idea. Let it never be said that the plastics industry is not environmentally conscious. As someone said to me recently, ‘people don’t realise, but this industry is actually full of very green people’. It’s so true. The sector has been adapting to our environmental reality for some time, entire business models have been re-written based on the need to change. The FT took a swipe at some major downstream chemicals players, who, according to the paper, had been lobbying for a version of the treaty that only focussed on recycling and re-use – thereby dodging anything that might impact on future demand. It’s

not surprising, and it’s important to explain (especially to the public) that these players represent just one stakeholder in plastics. SMEs and OEMs, who make up so much of the plastics industry, have been generally very supportive of a treaty which covers not just end-of-life, but also design and production. The reality is that single-use plastics will face further restrictions, treaty or no treaty. That’s known and accepted, it comes as no surprise. The Telegraph published something which brought a smile to my face – a review of James Piper’s The Rubbish Book, which illuminates readers on the many essential uses of plastics, and also the many inherent differences between different types of plastic. In short, the article underpins the fact that plastic itself is not the enemy of sustainability – a welcome change of tone from the mainstream media. More imminent, and closer to home than the arrival of the global plastics treaty, is the UK’s plastic packaging tax, which kicks in next month. It takes some decoding to work out what is, and isn’t taxable, but if you check out www.interplasinsights. com, the team at Summit Systems have provided a really helpful page of FAQ. It’ll be interesting to hear from materials suppliers and distributors to see how demand for recycled-content material changes once the tax kicks in. With costs for virgin resins likely to remain unstable for the foreseeable future, plus the double whammy of a tax in the packaging arena, I wonder if we’ll see a sharp uptick in demand for recycled-content grades in the first half of the year.

the big story Deﬁnitive insight on UK polymer markets

UK POLYMER DISTRIBUTOR, PLASTRIBUTION, HAS TAKEN ITS MONTHLY INSIGHT ON THE UK’S POLYMER MARKETS, PRICE KNOW-HOW, ONLINE. WITH THE INCREASE IN GLOBAL DIGITAL COMMUNICATION AS A RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE COMPANY EXPLAINS WHY THE MOVE WAS IMPORTANT AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE NEW-LOOK REPORT.

There are innumerable benefits to moving Price know-how online, not least in our abilities to maintain vital relationships and engagement among our readership

BACKGROUND ON THE REPORT Price Know-How was originally launched in autumn 2011 and has been published monthly ever since. Distributed as a PDF via email, it currently has over 1,000 subscribers. In its inception, Plastribution acknowledged that although a raft of market data was readily available, the aim of the new price report was to bring together the key factors that influence polymer prices here in the UK, and that a fundamental part of that approach was to translate foreign currency based pricing into pounds sterling at the prevailing exchange rate, with tonnes as the common unit of measure. Over the years, the report, which became branded ‘Price Know-How’, has maintained its purpose and relevance in the industry, by providing the readership with a trusted appraisal of market conditions so that purchasing strategies can be discussed and implemented in the context of their own commercial relationships.

THE REPORT INCLUDES: • A market overview. • Sector The data -definitive Polyolefins, Styrenics insight and on UK Engineering Polymers. polymer markets goes digital • Supply and demand trends for individual polymer groups with relevant timely commentary. • Oil prices and any special factors affecting polymer feedstocks. • Exchange rate and key UK economic data. Alongside Price Know-How, at the beginning of every year Plastribution also publishes an assessment of the UK polymer markets over the past year, and what may happen in the year ahead, particularly in terms of the outlook for material availability and pricing. This particular report, which is widely circulated through industry media channels, is known as ‘Price Know-How Outlook & Review’. PRICE KNOW-HOW ONLINE Plastribution says that it is delighted that its Price Know-How content continues to be as popular as ever, however the firm is keen to further increase readership by re-vitalising the publication and making an online version more engaging and dynamic. In recognising the

popularity of the report in its current guise - as a simple PDF - the company will also retain the report in a downloadable format as an option for the time being, but points out that the online version will provide more valuable content and a new and compelling experience for the reader. KEY FEATURES Subscribers to the new Price Know-How format will find the new platform immersive and personable, providing them with the opportunity to access the information they want quickly and efficiently. The fully responsive report contains all the main features of the previous PDF based format, but with additional elements such as interactive graphs, insights on report authors, and an additional option of accessing video content called ‘snippets’. The purpose of snippets is to provide subscribers with commentary on particular up-todate market dynamics as and when they occur, whether that be pricing, material availability, or other key issues. Delivered by members of the company’s senior management team, snippets is likely to appeal to busy commercial teams who might need more information about a particular material before making purchasing decisions. SUBSCRIPTION Plastribution’s digital Price Know-How, which was launched recently, is free and subscription-based at www.plb.ltd/pkh. Subscribers will be notified via email monthly when new content is uploaded to the site. Snippets will be added to the platform intermittently. “There are innumerable benefits to moving Price Know-How online, not least in our abilities to maintain vital relationships and engagement among our readership, particular as digital communication is now very much the new normal,” said Plastribution’s Ian Chisnall. “With a responsive design and intuitive navigation, having the report online will also reduce complexity and make it easier for our subscribers to access important information that they need on the go. What’s more, it will also provide important sustainable and resourcing benefits in the longer term.”

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

40 - 800 Tonne

The definitive insight on UK polymer markets goes digital

On the Cover

17 FEATURE

Plastribution on why its Price Know-How report is going online – See page 4

“Plastic packaging contributes to more food waste” – sounds dubious – BP&R separates the fact from the false.

Going digital

3 COMMENT 8 SUSTAINABILITY Coke vs. Pepsi

A look at the latest plastic sustainability efforts from the world’s leading beverage brands.

Regulars and Features 10 INDUSTRY NEWS

26 REGULAR

17 FACT CHECK

PolymerMan looks at the impact of the oil and gas crisis on resin prices.

18 MATERIALS NEWS

PolymerMan

21 FEATURE Medical plastics

13 INTERVIEW

Pentagon Plastics on how polymer stepped in to save lives during the pandemic.

Rob Coker chats to Cornelia Frank, Head of Sustainability at Kiefel, on the contribution of machine engineering on environmental standards.

42 COMMENT

Women in Plastics

Fact Check

Philip Law, DG of the BPF, weighs in on the announcement of a global plastics treaty.

13 WOMEN IN PLASTICS 26 POLYMERMAN 30 MACHINERY NEWS 39 BUYERS’ GUIDE 42 DIRECT FROM THE DIRECTOR

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FEATURE

O OKAY… THIS ISN’T REALLY ABOUT PITTING THE TWO FIRMS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. THE PEPSI CHALLENGE, WHICH WAS STARTED IN 1975, IS ALL ABOUT THE TASTE – WE’RE JUST INTERESTED IN THE PACKAGING.

Major beverage brands are ﬁzzing with enthusiasm at the prospect of having the greenest possible packaging.

n recent weeks, both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have taken new steps towards greener packaging. And when the big brands set the standard, the rest of the market tends to follow. Let’s start with PepsiCo. The group has announced a project in which it will use UBQ material developed by an Israeli startup of the same name to develop a sustainable pallet that uses unsorted household waste, including organics, in its composition. During the manufacturing process of UBQ material, waste is diverted and greenhouse gas emissions are prevented. In this initial project, the material implementation saves the equivalent of more than 6,500 kg of GHG emissions - the equivalent of the annual carbon sequestration of 534 trees. More than 739 kg of mixed waste will be redirected from landfills, looped back into the material as a valuable resource. The pallets are developed by PepsiCo’s partner Ecoboxes Embalagens Plásticas, which specialises in solutions focused on sustainability and circular economy. The UBQ material is a bio-based thermoplastic converted from 100% unsorted municipal solid waste, including mixed plastics, paper, cardboard, and organics, and is suitable to substitute conventional polymers in various durable applications. The first phase of the PepsiCo project includes the manufacturing of 830 ecological pallets for use in two of the company’s logistics centres. In addition to UBQ, the pallets are made from recycled materials that include recycled PP resin and recycled BOPP (a plastic film used in the company’s snack packaging), which completes the circular economy cycle. “This innovation is very exciting for PepsiCo because it helps us on our journey through materials that replace virgin plastic while at the same time working on CO2 reduction. In addition, this is a

differentiated material because it represents an alternative to the chain as a whole, especially with regard to collection, sorting, transportation and final disposal in landfills. Now we will go further, scale this solution in Brazil, Latin America and why not in other parts of the world,” said Raphael Cyjon, senior director of operations at PepsiCo LatAm. So what about Coca-Cola? The company’s sustainability strategy is split into three core pillars: design: all of its primary consumer packaging to be recyclable by 2025, and using 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030; collect: collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one the group sells by 2030; and partner: “bring people together to support a healthy, debris-free environment.”. Well, the firm has now added to this strategy a brand new pledge, which made headlines around the world: by 2030, the company aims to have at least 25% of all beverages globally across its portfolio of brands sold in refillable/returnable bottles (including plastic bottles), or in refillable containers through traditional fountain or Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), cited in its Reuse: Rethinking Packaging report, converting 20% of global plastic packaging into reuse models is a $10 billion business opportunity that benefits customers and represents a crucial element in the quest to eliminate plastic waste and pollution. “Reusable packaging is among the most effective ways to reduce waste, use fewer resources and lower our carbon footprint in support of a circular economy,” said Ben Jordan, senior director, packaging and climate, of The Coca-Cola Company. “We will continue to highlight markets that are leading the way with reusable packaging best practices, and to support other markets as they increase their use of reusable packaging,” Jordan said, adding that each market will approach the goal in a different way.

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INDUSTRY | NEWS Plastics Europe welcomes Global Agreement on Plastics Plastics Europe has pledged its support for the development of a global agreement to address the challenge of plastic waste, and welcomes the resolution agreed during the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi. The resolution calls for a legally binding instrument with binding and voluntary provisions that will be defined by the INC (International Negotiating Committee). The fostering of the sustainable production and consumption of plastics across their full lifecycle is prevalent within the resolution, which will require a full lifecycle approach and transform both upstream and downstream measures from product design to waste management. Virginia Janssens, managing director,

Plastics Europe, said: “The European plastics industry is in full action mode – leading the transition to a circular economy and the creation of a future of zero plastic pollution.” Describing the Nairobi resolution, Janssens illustrated the importance of the supportive measures that can be undertaken by policy makers. These will be tailored to meet the specific needs of Europe’s plastics industry and value chain, which will become the dynamo for the “active collaboration” and dialogue necessary to make the transition. The industry stakeholders involved in the negotiations concurred that there is no ‘silver bullet’ approach to tackling plastic pollution, and that governments must act with the

flexibility – based on local circumstances – needed to enable the most appropriate policies. Markus Steilemann, Plastics Europe President, added: “The UNEA resolution represents a major step towards the creation of a waste free future which is critical to achieving our collective climate ambitions.”

Janssens illustrated the importance of the supportive measures that can be undertaken by policy makers.

Healthcare sector highlighted in 2022 student plastics design competition Plastic products perform a vital role in today’s healthcare sector, with their practical uses combining with hygienic properties enabling medical personnel to carry out essential and life-saving tasks. This topical theme has been turned into a competition brief by the annual Design Innovation in Plastics award, which is contested by university undergraduates all over the UK and Ireland. The 2022 award has challenged them to come 10

up with an innovative, multi-use product for use in any part of the healthcare sector, whether at home, in a hospital or another clinical setting. Students must submit their projects by the end of March, when its panel of industry judges will examine the entries and choose their finalists. Final judging is in May and the award ceremony in early July. Chairman of DIP, Martin Sixsmith, explained: “This competition www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

Specialists in technical polymers | www.cjpsales.co.uk

Benvic Dugdale appoints new sales manager, Daniel Hollingsworth Benvic Dugdale has appointed Daniel Hollingsworth as sales manager for the company. Daniel will primarily be responsible for Benvic Dugdale sales in Southern England as well as for certain speciality products such HFFR (Halogen Free Flame Retardants). Daniel was previously an account manager for Ineos Compounds Aycliffe Ltd and, prior to that position, began his career in polymer compounding with AEI Compounds. Daniel attained a BSc (Hons) Bioscience degree from Canterbury Christ Church University in 2013 and since that time has worked in all aspects of polymer compounding, including production and process technology and sales, marketing and commercial matters. Post-University, Daniel’s beginnings in HFFR technology have equipped

him well for the newly expanded Benvic Dugdale materials portfolio, which now includes biopolymers, medical grades and polyolefin-based compounds, as well as the core foundation in PVC – now marketed as ProVinyl. His duties at Benvic Dugdale will include maintaining and growing customer relations, while also developing long-term sales strategies and new business opportunities. In his spare time Daniel is a family man with young children. His interests include DIY and taking his Harley Davidson on the occasional spin to blow the cobwebs away.

plays an important role encouraging students to recognise that plastics are a key design material of the 21st century. It encourages best practice, and students must satisfy other key criteria such as such as sustainability and recyclability. “Many of the universities which regularly take part have incorporated Design Innovation in Plastics into their coursework, and such is the standard

that some of our winners have gone on to win further awards or take their products to market.” Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) is the longest running plastics competition of its kind in Europe, having been established in 1985. It is supported by the Institute Of Materials Minerals and Mining, the Worshipful Company of Horners, and sponsored by leading design and plastics organisations, including Covestro.

Many universities have incorporated DIP into their coursework.

COMMENT

The word from Hird

R RICHARD HIRD, CHAIRMAN OF THE POLYMER MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION (PMMDA), REPORTS POSITIVE FINDINGS FROM THE GROUP’S ANNUAL STATISTICS SURVEY – THINGS ARE LOOKING UP FOR UK PLASTICS MANUFACTURING.

February welcomed the completion of our annual Statistics Survey here at PMMDA, where we use confidential contributions from our members to look at machinery sales figures and trends from year to year. For the first time in two years, we were able to sit around a table and hold a ‘live’ meeting which generated a really useful discussion on our findings. Our figures showed that the number of injection moulding machines delivered and installed in 2021 was up by about 30% in the UK, attributed to a growth in sales of smaller and medium size machines – all of which is indicative of a significant bounce back to normality, although this general trend does not seem to be reflected in the Irish market. The number of robot sales continues to grow at a steady rate, with the use of industrial robots being used to automate existing production cells and the majority of cartesian robots being supplied with new machines. The ancillary sector had a similar growth supporting new machine sales and the continued growth in recycling, sparked by the government introducing a tax on plastic packaging from April 2022. All in all, things are looking positive. It was noted that there seems to be an increase in production in the UK, with the rise in shipping/transport costs over the last two years and supply chain issues leading to much more manufacturing here. This can only be a good thing – reshoring in action.

The number of robot sales continues to grow at a steady rate, with the use of industrial robots being used to automate existing production cells.

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FEATURE

Better futures

C CORNELIA FRANK, HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY AT KIEFEL, ON THE COMPANY’S AWARD-WINNING SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVEMENTS AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF MACHINE ENGINEERING ON ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.

CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THE ABB EUROPEAN VALUE PROVIDER AWARD FOR KIEFEL’S ONGOING SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS. WHAT DOES THE AWARD MEAN FOR YOU AS AN INDUSTRY-BASED SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER? We are very pleased with the award, as it shows that we can be a role model in the mechanical engineering sector by actively contributing to greater sustainability. This is possible thanks to our innovative team and reliable partners. Our goal is to constantly improve ourselves and to set new standards as pioneers in the industry. HOW COULD THIS ACHIEVEMENT HELP BOOST YOUR OWN PROFILE IN THE THERMOFORMING MACHINERY SECTOR AND AMONG FELLOW SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS? Our vision is to become a leading solutions provider for the development and implementation of the most sustainable technology. Successes like this award show us and the market that we are on the right track. However, it is important that as many players as possible in the market (including consumers, companies, and policy makers) contribute to becoming ever more sustainable – only together can we ultimately make a significant difference for our environment and society. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FELLOW MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS THAT ARE PERHAPS SKEPTICAL ABOUT INCORPORATING SMART MANUFACTURING AND AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS? We believe that intelligent solutions and automation are essential for modern, futureoriented mechanical engineering. It is important to keep developing smart technical solutions in order to make production ever more energy efficient and resource-friendly.

Many opportunities open up where one can actively participate in work for a better future and develop advanced solutions. Never stop working towards a better future.

IS REACHING SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS AS SIMPLE AS SMART MANUFACTURING AND BIO-BASED MATERIALS ALONE? These are of course important steps in the right direction, but not exclusively. It is also important, for example, to develop solutions for local value chains, to improve the circular economy, to further optimise energy inputs and, of course, to do this all in an ethical, humane way as far as working conditions are concerned. A key prerequisite for all of this is that the organisation as a whole commits to sustainability. Furthermore, we, as an industry player, have to support Research and Development initiatives along with the supply chain and industry. This is very important to Kiefel so we established co-operations and partnerships with several academic institutions. IS THE PLASTICS SUPPLY CHAIN AS A WHOLE DOING ENOUGH, IN YOUR OPINION, TO MEET THE AGREED SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION STANDARDS? The awareness and determination that there must be more sustainable and better solutions is palpable everywhere. Fortunately, there are already numerous initiatives and movements to drive improvement throughout the plastics supply chain. At Kiefel, for example, we are also involved in the PrintCYC initiative to develop better solutions for a circular economy of printed PP-based packaging films, and in HolyGrail 2.0 to contribute to better sorting and higher recycling rates for packaging in the EU with the help of digital watermarks. But of course, it is always desirable to accelerate the implementation of our endeavours. FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO YOUNG ENGINEERS/ ENTREPRENEURS INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN MACHINERY MANUFACTURING, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARDS TO SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS? The requirements that arise in the area of sustainability are broad and diverse. Mechanical engineering plays a key role, because only suitable machines can ultimately create sustainable products such as packaging. For engineers and entrepreneurs, many opportunities open up where one can actively participate in work for a better future and develop advanced solutions. Never stop working towards a better future.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

plastic free mersey:

working with industry to tackle river plastics

W WHAT’S THE OLD SAYING? “IF YOU WANT TO GO QUICKLY, GO ALONE. IF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO TOGETHER.” MOST PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED AS PART OF AN EFFECTIVE PROJECT CAN RELATE TO THIS, AND THE PLASTIC FREE MERSEY PROJECT IS NO EXCEPTION.

he project brings multiple stakeholders together to deepen the understanding of the flows of littered items that end up in riverine systems and to identify potential interventions to reduce such flows. The project, launched last summer, is unique as it brings together environmental charities Thames21 and the Mersey Rivers Trust and businesses from across the entire plastics value chain, including LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest producers of plastics and chemicals, INOVYN, Europe’s leading producer of vinyls, and PEEL NRE, a company that reuses, repurposes and reenergises natural resources. These three business partners have company sites in the River Mersey catchment. The initiative also has the support of the British Plastics Federation, PlasticsEurope, plastics recycling charity RECOUP, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, an expert in the water and waste sectors, and the endorsement of public authorities, including Liverpool City Region, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Warrington Borough, and Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority. WORKING TOGETHER The project aims to raise awareness of the plastic pollution faced by the River Mersey and its tributaries to enable local communities and the plastic supply chain to provide proactive support and involvement in improving the health of these rivers. Ultimately, it is hoped that the initiative will shape behaviour change to keep litter out of the Mersey, reduce its impact on the natural environment, and wildlife and retain valuable materials longer in the circular economy. Led by Thames21 to build on its strong experience of citizen science data collection on rivers and working closely with the Mersey Rivers Trust with its strong links into local communities and knowledge of the river catchment, the initiative trains and supports volunteers to use robustly designed systems to find, sort, count and quantify plastic items at litter hotspots across the network of waterways, from the Pennines to Liverpool Bay. Debbie Leach, CEO of Thames21, says that the collaborative approach of the project has achieved great wins since its inception with the whole plastic supply chain (from manufacturers to resource management firms) working with citizens and communities to obtain crucial

data on the plastic pollution challenge. “One organisation on their own cannot solve all the problems of plastic pollution in the natural environment. And the more organisations that join the collaborative effort, the more it adds to the credibility and effectiveness of a unified industry taking constructive action,” she says. Working with guidance from the partners, since last year citizen scientists have carried out litter surveys and submitted data from the Mersey and its tributaries. Collectively, almost 1,000 individual pieces of litter have already been categorised and removed from the natural environment by local volunteers, with 60% of these items collected from the River Alt alone, which had higher levels of litter than sites on other rivers in the Mersey catchment. From this data, the project has found the most common item to be plastic food packaging, as shown in the graph.

A further 200 items have been categorised using walking surveys, which are used when riverbanks are inaccessible or dangerous to access (e.g. foreshore and estuary sites). Currently this type of survey has been completed on sites along the Mersey estuary. Here cigarette filters/butts were most common, with plastic food packaging the second most common plastic item found on the foreshore.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

solutions and gathering highly useful data. I encourage more companies to get involved that are looking for transferable solutions.” Plastics that are not recycled or reused many times are value lost to the economy and Plastic Free Mersey wants to help change that. By stimulating a change of behaviour amongst people and businesses, the initiative can retain more plastic items and other items in the economy. The programme is investigating the potential for materials collected during litter surveys to be taken through advanced recycling processes to be turned into new products. The aim is for the Plastic Free Mersey project to act as a pilot to similar organisations working together in other river catchment areas in the UK and abroad. Leach added: “The key to ending plastic pollution in the River Mersey lies in collaboration. We need to approach it from different angles and in a multidisciplinary way. The responsibility lies with the whole supply chain – academics,

Plastic is a material that is vital to many industries and without it they would be unable to function – but discarded plastic obviously has no place in the natural environment. LyondellBasell and INOVYN are active participants in an international initiative called Operation Clean Sweep (OCS). OCS is designed to prevent the release of plastic pellets, flakes and powders into the environment during handling by the various parties in the plastics value chain. Companies signing up to OCS commit to adopting best practice to address spills and minimise the risk of industrial plastic material loss, among other factors. OCS is administered by the British Plastics Federation in the UK and Plastics Europe on the continent. Philip Law, Director General at the BPF, says: “Plastic is a material that is vital to many industries and without it they would be unable to function – but discarded plastic obviously has no place in the natural environment. That is why we run initiatives like Operation Clean Sweep, to ensure plastic raw materials stay appropriately contained. It is also why we are proud to be supporting initiatives like this, which brings businesses, environmental charities and people together in a unique way, looking for

Mayor Steve Rotheram with project partners and local councillors and representatives at last autumn’s community river clean-up event on the River Alt in Knowsley (Liverpool). manufacturers, brands, environmentalists, NGOS, waste companies, and finally consumers. Our Plastic Free Mersey project is demonstrating that this works.” If your business is interested in knowing more about and getting involved in the project, please get in touch with us at Thames21 (Project Coordinator Luca Marazzi – luca.marazzi@ thames21.org.uk; Head of Engagement and Education Chris Coode – chris.coode@thames21. org.uk).

Volunteers and Mersey Rivers Trust Director John Sanders at work on the River Irwell (bottom right). www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

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Unit 16 Red Mill Trading Estate | Rigby Street | Wednesbury | WS10 0NP Tel: 0121 725 4422 Email: Enquiries@BOLEMachinery.co.uk

www.bolemachinery.co.uk

FACT CHECK The claim: “Plastic packaging increases food waste” BACKGROUND In February, sustainability charity WRAP, which works closely with the plastics sector on many positive initiatives, published a study exploring food waste. The Guardian, and other outlets, have picked up on the report and run with headlines denouncing packaging (specifically plastic packaging) as a direct cause of food waste. Unfortunately, this headline is misleading, and readers may be tempted to take it at face value, which gives cause for concern, given the preservatory and hygiene properties that plastic packaging offers. Especially since what the study actually found, was that food sold pre-packaged can lead to a consumer tendency to buy more than is required – which in turn can lead to food waste. And it’s worth noting that in theory, this consumer trend could apply to other types of food packaging (i.e. non-plastic). REACTION For the plastics community, this type of headline is another disappointing example of industry being asked to shoulder the full burden of consumer behaviour – and furthermore, taking the blame for it. Responding to the report, the British Plastics Federation said: “Plastic packaging is rightly understood to reduce food waste and ultimately carbon emissions and although we respect the motivation behind this study, it is important to understand that its focus was solely on a small number of fresh food items and their lifespan within the home. In reality, many fresh products travel hundreds if not thousands of miles on their journey from farm to fork, so a form of packaging is required to protect and preserve them – and plastic packaging still excels at this due to being lightweight, strong and providing a moisture barrier (extending a product’s overall lifespan), in addition to other unique benefits.” “Wrap’s summary report recommends to 'sell loose unless it can be shown that plastic packaging reduces overall food waste' – but we respectfully suggest that calculation should account for the entire journey of the product, rather than simply within the home. Whilst we acknowledge that food waste is most significant in the home, it still occurs in-store and during a product’s journey along the wider supply chain. In addition to preserving food, plastic packaging also provides an extra degree of hygiene and a way to trace its origin.”

For the plastics community, this type of headline is another disappointing example of industry being asked to shoulder the full burden of consumer behaviour. www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

WWW.PLASTRIBUTION.CO.UK | EXPERTS IN THERMOPLASTICS

MATERIALS | NEWS How non-fungible tokens (NFTs) could incentivise plastic recycling Sustainability technology company Nozama has announced the launch of Plastiks – claimed to be the world’s first utility non-fungible token (NFT) dedicated to the plastic recycling industry. The goal is to connect recyclers with plastic manufacturers, as well as artists. The NFT has been created to incentivise an increase in the amount of plastic that is recovered for recycling. The Plastiks marketplace works by allowing recyclers to turn invoice data into NFTs. Each NFT created uses data recorded on blockchain to certify that a corresponding amount of plastic has been recovered. This would potentially create a more transparent recycling operation and also provides recyclers with an additional source of income as they can mint and sell their recovery guarantee as an NFT on the Plastiks marketplace.

SUP manufacturing companies and consumer brands can compensate for their waste by buying these tokens to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and recycling. This can be used as a marketing tool or part of loyalty programme, to encourage individuals to collect NFTs, or a visual icon to be used on a company website demonstrating their dedication to reducing plastic waste. The model also connects artists across music, painting, photography and literature to produce NFTs that are collectable on both artistic merit and environmental grounds. The Plastiks blockchain-powered marketplace allows companies, individuals and NFT speculators to operate on the platform by minting, listing, publishing and trading the tokens. The platform is

The Compound Company acquires Exxelor polymers from Esso Deutschland Frans Haafkens, major shareholder of The Compounding Company)

The Netherlands-based compound manufacturer The Compound Company has announced its acquisition of the production site, product portfolio and customer base for Exxelor polymer resins from ESSO Deutschland GmbH. The acquisition will increase the global production capacity 18

already attracting both buyers and sellers, as international recycling firms Urbaser and Plásticos Güell are already listing NFTs for sale. The latter

completed the platform’s first NFT sale, when hotels group, Grup Soteras bought ‘THE FOREST’, an NFT equivalent to 0.4 tons of polypropylene plastic (PP5). These transactions create an additional revenue stream for recyclers from plastic they have already recovered and offers producers and users the opportunity to make a meaningful investment in the

of The Compound Company to about 70 kilotons per year and significantly expand the group’s reach into new markets. Frans Haafkens, major shareholder of The Compounding Company, said: “We are very excited to welcome the Exxelor manufacturing force and portfolio in our organisation. The acquisition adds a new sizeable jewel to our crown and ideally complements our established offering of Yparex extrudable adhesives and EcoForte compound families. It

provides great synergies to further grow our customer base, with new opportunities in several dynamic application areas.” Exxelor polymer resins are chemically modified polyolefin- and elastomers-based resins used to enhance the performance of engineering thermoplastics and other polymers. As impact modifiers, they improve the toughness of compounds. As compatibilisers, coupling agents and adhesion promoters, they increase the bonding strength of non-polar polymers with polyolefins, fillers and reinforcements as well as metals, thermoset rubbers and most polar substrates, including glass. ESSO Deutschland Plant Manager Ronald van den Berg added: “With The Compound Company, our Exxelor manufacturing operations have found a good home to strengthen the market focus of the product offering and progress from a niche to a core business. Our resins fit very well within The Compound Company’s existing range of functionalised and grafted polyolefin-based solutions.” Wouter van den Berg, commercial director for The

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

WWW.PLASTRIBUTION.CO.UK | EXPERTS IN THERMOPLASTICS

recovery of SUPs. André Vanyi Robin, Founder and CEO of Nozama, said: “Plastiks is a bridge between plastic recyclers and producers in the ongoing fight to protect the environment. We are using NFTs as a utility – breaking new ground to give consumers faith that the end-to-end supply chain is committed to minimising waste.” “This is an innovative, blockchain-powered marketplace which has already attracted significant demand from recyclers and producers, not to mention the artists who have been manifesting their fight against waste for this pioneering venture. “We hope to expand our network of companies across the globe who are dedicated to reducing the amount of singleuse plastic ending up in the environment, while enabling them to demonstrate to their stakeholders that they are fully committed to tracking, measuring and fighting plastic waste.”

These transactions create an additional revenue stream for recyclers.

Compound Company, said: “Our strategy is to use the addition of these performance resins as leverage for expanding into a wider range of markets. The production

site and the brand will be maintained, and the integration of Exxelor in our business will be as smooth as possible, without any major changes towards

Wouter van den Berg, Commercial Director for The Compound Company)

Simplifying these processes would likely lead to a further reduction in CO2. Cellulose-reinforced resin could be a greener alternative to glassreinforced grades Japanese player Polyplastics has launched Plastron LFT resin, which is made of ‘specially formulated regenerated cellulose fibres’. The group says that Plastron LFT provides weight reduction plus mechanical strength, enabling manufacturers to reduce their carbon footprint and meet sustainability goals. Polyplastics says a comparison of long-fibre cellulose-reinforced PP resin versus long-fibre glassreinforced PP resin at the same flexural modulus showed that cellulose-reinforced resin has lower density than glass-filled resin. While long-fibre cellulose-reinforced PP resin has a flexural modulus roughly 3% higher than that of 30% glass-reinforced PP resin, it exhibits higher values for Charpy impact strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength, thus indicating potential for upgraded strength. Eco-friendly resins that incorporate natural fibres, starch, wood powder, and other plant-based and natural mineral filling materials are being considered for use in a broader range of applications. Cellulose is a promising material to help reduce CO2 emissions but its insufficient strength is a limiting factor. By using regenerated cellulose in the development of LFT resins, the group says it has addressed this drawback. Regenerated cellulose is natural cellulose spun into continuous fibres through wet spinning. Since cellulose is highly insoluble in solvents, a large portion of regenerated cellulose fibres are manufactured through long and cumbersome processes. Simplifying these processes would likely lead to a further reduction in CO2. Polyplastics has developed regenerated longfibre cellulose materials via a solvent method - a manufacturing process which it says “emits very little CO2”. Since this method involves a closed process that recovers virtually 100% of the solvent, it generates hardly any waste. The company has earned multiple patents for this technology in Japan and internationally.

customers.”

Our strategy is to use the addition of these performance resins as leverage for expanding into a wider range of markets. www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

26-28 SEPTEMBER 2023

Exhibitt w Exhibi with ith it hu uss Interplas is back in 2023, bringing with it the opportunity for you to experience the UK’s largest plastics industry exhibition showcasing the full spectrum of plastics processing machinery, materials, software, services and ancillaries in one place. It’s also the only plastics event in the UK where visitors can see working machinery LIVE on the show floor and where they’ll come to compare, contrast and buy. With an expected 12,000+ attendees across the three-day event, as well as new features and an expanded floorplan, now is the time to position yourself as a company that can offer solutions, showcase innovation and offer expertise to an audience known for its quality and purchasing power.

@InterplasUK #InterplasUK www.interplasuk.com +44 (0) 1244 952 519

Your Healthcare Polymer Partner from Design to Production

FEATURE

POST PANDEMIC

P PENTAGON PLASTICS’ COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER GABBY DAY SPEAKS TO BP&R ABOUT THE ROLE OF PLASTICS IN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS, AND THE POST-BREXIT CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY.

PLASTICS

MANY INJECTION MOULDERS HAVE MADE GOOD USE OF THE PANDEMIC ENSURING MORE BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVED IN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS. HOW HAS BUSINESS BEEN AFFECTED FOR PENTAGON? The last couple of years have been a challenge on so many levels. However, as a moulder serving a variety of industry sectors, we have been fortunate enough to ride the storm and come out fighting.

From the development of new products to the manufacture of production tooling and long-term servicing, our Tooling Division is fully equipped to support our customers’ requirements. The Moulding Division will then ensure that trial samples and repeat production mould to exacting standards to meet customer expectation no matter what the volume required. All supported by our ISO9001 accredited quality management system.

Around 40 per cent of our production is for the medical sector and, as indicated, the demand for medical moulding increased by a massive 500 per cent at the height of the pandemic. This level of demand for medical products has now returned to pre-pandemic volumes, but we were fortunate enough to also win new customers in this sector, thereby growing our foothold with medical moulding for non-invasive products.

ARE MEDICAL DEVICE APPLICATIONS THE OPTIMUM USE FOR PLASTICS? WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU THINK COULD POSSIBLY REPLACE PLASTICS IN LIFE-SAVING DEVICES? Plastics are widely used across many industries but especially in the medical sector. Recent bad press regarding single use plastics has waned slightly as people begin to understand how widely used plastics are and for many critical to life devices and applications. Technology is always moving forward and there are advancements all the time in the development of alternatives, but they are all sometime away from being commercially viable for standard applications.

Nonetheless, we faced all the challenges of the last 24 months head-on by taking a flexible approach, keeping customers informed and adapting work processes where necessary. This has enabled us to emerge from these challenging times with a strong belief and a positive outlook for future growth.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

Your Healthcare Polymer Partner from Design to Production

FEATURE The industry is working hard to be clean and sustainable with initiatives to reduce single use items making real headway. HOW DOES A BUSINESS SUCH AS PENTAGON ENGAGE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS INTERESTED IN SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS? In terms of sustainability in our manufacturing process, there are several considered areas – especially when engaging potential customers looking at new products for the medical sector. These can include cutting down waste by the introduction of direct hot tip feed systems or recycling waste back into production at controlled levels. Given the nature of medical mouldings that are produced at Pentagon, the risk of contamination is usually too high for consideration. Where we are looking at moulding projects for equipment used within the medical environment, there are more environmentally friendly thermoplastic options available. In the main we find customers will approach us with a specified grade of thermoplastic suitable for their product which has been researched and sourced by their design team. We will still highlight alternatives should we believe that there would be a comparable and suitable suggestion for the products that meet the needs of its end use], and we also look at other elements such as the coring out of a product to reduce the volume of plastic used for product manufacture, while ensuring the product will remain fit for purpose. Pentagon adopts a conscientious approach to mould tool design with a keen focus on negating the need for waste plastics in processing. Optimal cavitation, utilisation of hot runner systems, minimising waste, improving yields, and optimising the process are all considerations. When a customer product reaches the final production stages, our technicians deliver process optimisation to eliminate waste. This, supported by our expansive quality control processes, means that regular patrol inspections ensure any substandard product is picked up at the earliest opportunity and any processing issues are rectified to ensure as little waste as possible. Having several experienced quality inspectors allows us to operate a concise waste mitigation programme through quality control, continual monitoring and working to reduce scrappage throughout the injection moulding process. The team is immensely proud of its sustainability programme and will gladly discuss this in more detail.

IN WHAT WAYS CAN UK MANUFACTURERS MAINTAIN A LEADING ROLE IN EUROPE/THE WORLD FOLLOWING BREXIT? There is no doubt that Brexit is going to be a challenge for UK manufacturers as we wrestle with the mixture of skills shortages, breakdown of supply chains, and ever-increasing overhead costs whilst the government finalises trade deals across the world. We believe that companies like Pentagon will come out of this period stronger and more competitive with the right economic support. Provided we have a firm focus on delivering quality products, acceptable and reasonable lead times, investment in technology, and excellent levels of supportive and informed customer service. We will continue to trailblaze the manufacturing sector. HAS COLLABORATION WITH EUROPE-BASED PARTNERS BEEN HINDERED AT ALL BECAUSE OF THIS? Our collaborations have not been affected with our European suppliers and partners to date. There is certainly a feeling of ‘we are all in this together’ and a level of understanding as we all find our feet in this new post-Brexit world. Business needs business, and a breakdown in relations due to difficulties post-Brexit would not benefit anyone. It is preferable that we work together to find a way forward than work against each other and risk losing relations.

Recent bad press regarding single use plastics has waned slightly as people begin to understand how widely used plastics are and for many critical to life devices and applications.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

You expect precision. We deliver. contract manufacturing injection moulding medical devices Our manufacturing includes cleanroom environments, automation, and assembly services, delivering total value solutions that reduce investment and improve cost.

www.carclo-ctp.co.uk +44 208 685 0500 sales@carclo-usa.com United States

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Your Healthcare Polymer Partner from Design to Production

FEATURE

P PEERLESS PLASTICS AND COATINGS’ MANAGING DIRECTOR PETER LLEWELLYNSTAMP DISCUSSES THE COMPANY’S INNOVATIVE POLYGUARD RANGE OF COATINGS FOR POLYCARBONATE SHEETS USED IN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS.

Plastics are in many applications the most sustainable material option due their physical properties.

LAB COAT

HOW HAS DEMAND FOR POLYCARBONATE SCREENS CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO OR THREE YEARS? During 2020 and 2021 we saw a massive demand for polycarbonate screens in many sectors, including retail, healthcare, catering and education, although demand has significantly reduced as screens now remain in place – and these are not products which need to be regularly changed. During 2020 we developed an existing anti-microbial coating (MicroGuard) to create an optically clear version ideal for long-term, easyclean, hygienic screens. The majority of screens we produced incorporated this coating.

DO YOU ANTICIPATE THIS DEMAND TO CONTINUE TO FALL AWAY SOMEWHAT IF THE UK GOVERNMENT PURSUES ITS DECISION TO LIFT ALL COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS? Following the initial rush and once all businesses had a screen solution in place, demand dropped significantly. We expect screens will remain in many settings and will gradually be replaced over time for longer-lasting, hard-coated alternatives. WHAT PROPERTIES DO PEERLESS’ COATING TECHNOLOGIES ADD TO THE PRODUCT? Polycarbonate is an amazing material. However, the surface is soft, meaning it scratches very easily. Additionally, polycarbonate is not very chemical resistant. Our coating technology provides superior scratch and chemical resistance, ensuring it is longer lasting, more robust and ultimately more sustainable. The PolyGuard range incorporates a variety of coatings, each providing specialist properties including Anti-Fog, Anti-Static/AntiFouling and Anti-Glare to meet the specific demands of different industries and applications. IN WHICH SPECIFIC MEDICAL/HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THESE PRODUCTS IN USE? PolyGuard Anti-Fog is an ideal material for the production of medical visors and eyewear, providing excellent optical clarity along with an Anti-Fog coating that meets the requirements if EN166. PolyGuard Anti-Static is a perfect solution for cleanroom glazing or viewing windows on medical testing and decontamination chambers. PolyGuard Anti-Glare is widely used for electronic display windows in many applications, including medical and healthcare. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WERE THE ADVANTAGES OF POLYCARBONATE OVER GLASS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THESE APPLICATIONS? Polycarbonate is over 200 times stronger than glass whilst being half the weight, making it a much more robust yet easier to handle material. Additionally, polycarbonate provides improved

insulation, heat resistance and UV protection compared to glass. Combining these properties with a hard coated surface, polycarbonate becomes a great alternative that will last many years due to its chemical resistance (Anti-Graffiti), UV stability and scratch resistance. HOW INTRICATE A SCIENTIFIC PROCESS IS IT TO APPLY THESE COATINGS TO A POLYCARBONATE SCREEN? All of our coatings are applied in our fully automated coating line within cleanroom conditions. The coatings are applied by a robotic spray system before being fully cured by high levels of UV energy. Over many years, we have fine-tuned the application process to provide high levels of quality, consistently, over mass production volumes. This is greatly helped by the automation we have within the coating line facility. We are, however, a company that is dedicated to continuous improvement and have invested heavily in new technologies to further improve quality and grow capacity. IS THE MEDICAL WORLD LIKELY TO RECONSIDER MATERIALS CHOICES GIVEN THE ONGOING DISCUSSION VOICED BY THOSE LARGELY CONDEMNING THE MANUFACTURE OF PLASTIC PRODUCTS? The medical world, like all sectors, will be considering the sustainability of materials they use. Single-use plastic will continue to be eradicated over time, but the use of plastic in many applications will remain. Plastics are in many applications the most sustainable material option due their physical properties. As we launch PolyGuard, we are keen to raise awareness of hard coatings on plastics as a sustainable solution, PolyGuard is a made-to-last product, with specialist surface properties which, at the end of its long life, can be recycled.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

Services: Mould & Press Tool Design and Manufacture

Sectors Served: Medical

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How will price inflation

impact polymer pricing?

IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, RESIN PRICES CAN FLUCTUATE WILDLY. MIKE BOSWELL EXPLAINS WHAT THE CURRENT CLIMATE MAY MEAN FOR PRICING.

any participants in the plastics market would refer to price movements since a low point at the end of Q1 2020, (when concerns about the impact of coronavirus on the global economy drove prices to historical lows), and the subsequent polymer price increases which have resulted in record highs, and take the view that dramatic polymer price inflation has already happened. Furthermore, there is an expectation amongst many plastic converters that prices will return to lower levels, possibly in line with what are seen to be the pre-pandemic norms. Scrutiny of polyolefin polymer prices in the period 2008 though to 2022, provides no clear evidence of any long-term price inflation, and this reflects the economic backdrop of low-price inflation across the whole economy during this period. Price volatility within this period is a direct result of supply/demand fluctuation for both the polymer types and/or their constituent feedstocks including crude oil. Although, in the case of styrenic polymers and engineering polymers, it may be possible to argue the case for price inflation on the basis that prices over the period have posted higher highs, although the lows appear to be of similar value.

Who is ‘Polymerman’?

Mike Boswell is Managing Director of UK materials distributor, Plastribution, as well as the Chairman of the British Plastic Federation’s Polymer Compounders and Distributors Group and its ‘BREXIT Committee’. ‘Polymerman’ is the title used for announcements made via his Twitter account. This column is compiled using data from PIE (Plastics Information Europe) www.plastribution. co.uk | www.pieweb.com

In the case of styrenic polymers and engineering polymers, it may be possible to argue the case for price inflation.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

So, considering the most recent episode of severe polymer price inflation to be a direct consequence of insufficient supply of these materials to meet demand, what is the possible impact of more general inflationary factors? ENERGY COSTS Brent crude oil prices have escalated from an early-pandemic low of about £200 per tonne, to a level today that exceeds pre-pandemic pricing, and given that it takes 1.5-2.0 tonnes of crude oil to produce 1.0 tonne of virgin polymer, the impact of increasing crude oil price is exaggerated. These input costs are the basis of recent calls from polymer producers for price increases, and the recent uptick in pricing on all three polymer price graphs suggest that some of this cost inflation has been passed through.

TRANSPORT AND SHIPPING Historically, polymer imports have been priced at a lower level than domestic supply, to enable supply to be balanced between regions of surplus and demand. The current high cost of containerised shipping is a significant handicap to international trade and imports today are likely to trade at a premium over local supply, with imports only taking place where it is necessary to supplement supply to meet with local demand. TAXES As the world aims towards ‘zero carbon’, tax authorities are likely to tax CO2 emitting sectors, such as petrochemicals, and these costs will be passed through the supply chain. In the case of (single use) packaging taxes, the effect on polymer raw materials will depend upon the point at which taxes are applied, with some approaches favouring raw materials, and others manufactured products. LABOUR COSTS As the costs of goods and services increase, so wage demands will increase, and there is the risk that this will drive an inflation spiral, which will push up polymer prices in order to reflect increasing personnel costs. SUMMARY The increase in polymer prices which has taken place since Q4 2020 has not been driven by general inflation, but by a significant imbalance in supply and demand. Inflationary pressures including energy, transport and shipping, taxes and labour costs are impacting the costs of producers, and whilst the markets for petrochemicals will continue to be volatile, it is likely that that less transitory forms of inflation will result in higher lows, and higher overall average pricing.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

FEATURE

POSSIBILITIES, VIRTUES, CIRCULARITY

R RICHARD MCKINLEY, HEAD OF CONSULTING AT AXION POLYMERS, SPEAKS TO BP&R ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES, VIRTUES AND CIRCULARITY OF PVC

PVC AND VINYLS ARE PERHAPS NOT AS WELLKNOWN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS PLASTICS SUCH AS PP AND PET. IN WHICH APPLICATIONS ARE THEY LIKELY TO BE FOUND? PVC is actually one of the most common plastics, representing almost 10 per cent of the virgin polymer use in Europe (Plastics – the Facts 2021). With virtually all window frames being made from PVC, we interact with it every day. It is also used extensively in pipes, flooring, electrical cable and traffic management products, as well as in healthcare applications. PVC has some fantastic physical properties, which makes it highly suitable to these applications. In many instances, other polymers cannot perform in the same way HOW LONG-TERM ARE THESE APPLICATIONS? PVC is typically a long-life product, with windows and flooring lasting over 10 years and something like an underground pipe lasting for over 50 years. In practice, these products will last even longer, but are removed and recycled before the end of their life for various other reasons. There is an exception in healthcare, where the PVC is used in shortlife applications such as oxygen and anaesthetic masks, and blood bags. HOW IS AXION THEREFORE CONTRIBUTING TO IMPROVEMENTS IN PVC LONGEVITY AND RECYCLING INITIATIVES? Through the Recovinyl initiative, we work with recyclers to understand the exact quantities of PVC that is recycled, and we audit the figures to have high levels of confidence. No other polymer or industry has this system. Axion was involved in the early days of Recovinyl and has been the UK Recovinyl agent since its beginning. Much of the focus was on establishing the supply chain for PVC waste so it can then be recycled. Now we work alongside the recyclers to record and validate how many tonnes of PVC is recycled. We also support the recyclers through changes in legislation and environmental law and raise awareness of PVC recycling.

PVC is typically a long-life product, with windows and flooring lasting over 10 years, and something like an underground pipe lasting for over 50 years.

We are members of the British Plastics Federation and also work closely with organisations such as VinylPlus through the Recovinyl scheme. IS PVC GENERALLY MORE DIFFICULT TO RECYCLE THAN OTHER PLASTICS? No – PVC is no more difficult to recycle than other polymers. One of the benefits of PVC is that its properties enable it to be used in mono-material solutions, where a combination of different polymers or materials would be required to give the same functionality. There are certain challenges with PVC which are maybe more unique to the polymer. For example, legacy additives such as certain plasticisers and stabilisers can prevent the recycling of older products, although this is a challenge also seen in polymers such as flameretardant ABS and PS. HOW CAN THE UK PVC INDUSTRY WORK WITH THOSE IN CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION TO HELP FURTHER INCREASE RECYCLING RATES? Some products, such as windows are very well recycled as there are many recyclers and a very strong demand for the recycled polymer. Difficulties arise for other products such as flooring and cable trunking where there is less demand for recycled material and a lack of infrastructure to collect, sort and process the material. Improvements in waste management during construction and demolition could allow for the collection of more PVC waste, but this alone is not enough. Without the infrastructure to sort and recycle the material, there will never be a pull through the system. Both areas need to be addressed, and the PVC industry should continue to invest in new recycling processes to recover the value from the waste.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

DESIGN

Your technical experts for plastic injection moulding

DEVELOPMENT

MOULDING Make Pentagon your UK supplier of choice for Mould Tool manufacture and Plastic Injection Moulding. Whether you need a supplier for a new injection moulding project or sourcing a new manufacturing partner for existing production, Pentagon will support you at every stage.

TOOLING

BEYOND THE MOULD

www.pentagonplastics.co.uk | websales@pentagonplastics.co.uk | Tel: +44 (0) 1403 264 397 |

The best in PVC? It’s all about exceeding expectations supplying stock and bespoke compounds, everyday, nationwide, with technical support. From 25 kg to 25 tonne, whatever your needs, we aim to deliver.

That’s what makes us the best in PVC.

Tel: 01656 644907

www.cjpsales.co.uk

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pioneering plastics

MACHINERY | NEWS New hand extruders for civil engineering Leister says its largest and most powerful hand extruders to date are characterised by their high outputs, long service life and electronic features. With their high output of 6kg/hr (13.2lbs/hr) and slim designs, the Weldplast 600 and 605 are powerful hand extruders that can be used for large-scale projects. Their doublesided welding rod intake reportedly offers flexibility when welding large objects, and both have brushless drive and motor blowers, making them particularly durable, lowmaintenance and longlasting. The bright LED work light on the Leister Weldplast 600 and 605

extruders illuminates the welding area, which makes it easy to work in dark or shaded areas or at night. The LED indicates when the extrusion welder has reached its operating temperature, facilitating reliable welding. The Weldplast 600 and 605 both include intelligent power management, that is the extruders can weld reliably with the same performance and quality despite a certain amount of undervoltage. If the undervoltage becomes too high, the extruders automatically switch off because the weld quality is no longer guaranteed. They also include an ECO mode, saving up to 40 per cent energy during

Advanced Plastics becomes first UK moulder to buy from Engel’s Wintec brand Hull-based Advanced Plastics has added the first Wintec injection moulding machine in the UK to its portfolio of Engel Group machinery. Wintec is a brand originally launched by Engel back in 2014, aimed initially at high volume moulders in the Asian market. However, the option of buying machines from under the Engel name, but with a more standardised set of features, suited to high volume applications (and with a lower price point than some Engel counterparts) has proven a popular one. Since the brand launched, it has gone to market in the Middle East, South Africa, the US, Mexico, Brazil – and now the UK. Advanced Plastics moulds products for a host of consumer and industrial applications – including automotive. Purchased to primarily assist in the fulfilment of newly acquired automotive business, Advanced Plastics’ new Wintec t-win dual platen, injection moulding machine joins the manufacturer’s existing fleet of Engel machines. Rob Anderson, joint managing director at Advanced Plastics, said: “I visited Engel UK to inspect the machine after it arrived in the country and the familiar Engel feel about it, coupled with the advantageous pricing and the short lead time, were major factors in

work breaks. Developed by Leister, the Weldplast 600 and 605 models are supplied to the UK by Welwyn Tool Group.

my decision to place the order.” Anderson also they stand up well against the Engel duo machines, and that the team have found it to be very aligned with the machines they’re used to. The Wintec is providing them with cycle times and energy efficiency equal to the existing Engel duo machines, Anderson reported. Engel UK managing director Nigel Baker said: “This is the first of a number of Wintec dual platen machines expected in the UK manufacturing sector very shortly. The fact that these machines are designed and engineered in Europe and offer the expertise of Engel’s decades of manufacturing,

The Weldplast 600 and 605 both include intelligent power management.

makes them a very attractive option for UK injection moulders. As Rob Anderson has mentioned, the very familiar feel of the

control system and the fact that the machines are supported by Engel UK will ensure that they are an easy alternative to select.”

The fact that these machines are designed and engineered in Europe makes them a very attractive option for UK injection moulders.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

www.kraussmaffei.com

pioneering plastics

Netstal goes back to the drawing board with sustainable new machine design

Targetting thin-walled packaging applications, the new launch from Netstal’s Elios series, the 4500, features re-designed drive components, adding to its green credentials. The Swiss IMM maker says the redesign means it can “significantly” shorten the dry cycle time of the smallest model with 4500 kN, while reducing power consumption. With sustainability being high on the agenda, particularly for packaging manufacturers, shorter cycle times and energy efficiency were important factors in the design of the Elios 4500. "By intelligently redesigning the actuating elements in the clamping unit, we were able to completely eliminate the hydro mechanical part of the drive and thus realise a purely electric drive train. For our customers, this makes the Elios 4500 even more productive. At the same time, they achieve further savings

This is an advantage for our customers that should not be underestimated. in electricity costs," said Marcel Christen, product manager at Netstal. The changes have resulted in the drying time of the Elios 4500 being reduced by 0.1 seconds, bringing the total time to 1.4 seconds. With regards to the Euromap dry cycle, energy consumption is reduced by 7 kW. The elimination of the hydro mechanical components for operating the toggle lever also results in a 450mm reduction in the machine length. "This is an advantage for our customers that should not be underestimated, if the space saved in the production hall can be used profitably elsewhere," said Marcel Christen. In the clamping units of the larger variants with 5500, 6500, 7500,

8800 and 10000 kN, the patented drive concept for actuating the toggle lever continues to be effective. "For the higher clamping forces, the hybrid drive remains the ideal synthesis to ensure the optimum combination of speed and energy efficiency. It consists of an electrically driven double gear rack and pinion and a synchronously interacting hydro mechanical actuator that ensures the build-up of the maximum clamping force," explains Marcel Christen. The dry cycle time of the Elios range is between 1.4 and 2.2 seconds, depending on the model. Machines in the series recover kinetic energy, which is reused in the form of hydraulic energy throughout the system.

Low pressure sensor tech ‘moulds the unmouldable’ – and now in higher volumes X2F, a US-based supplier of a patented low-pressure injection moulding technology, says its latest development will allow for higher production volumes. X2F’s technology (extrude-to-fill – hence the name) uses a combination of sensors and electric heat to carefully control the viscosity, and gradually build to optimal fill pressure within the mould. While this may open up opportunities for moulding complex parts (and difficult-towork-with materials) it may not be as fast as conventional moulding. Now however, X2F has added a rotary table to its machines, which which reduces cycle times and opens up higher-volume production for its controlled viscosity moulding machine. X2F claims that the rotary table enables the machines to “reach production volumes of up to four million parts per year, depending on the cycle time”. The nature of the technology makes it suited to electronic parts and complex medical applications. “Our technology enables the manufacture of previously impossible-

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to-mould thermoplastic parts that provide stepchange improvements in thermal conductivity, EMI shielding, and hightemperature capability in electronics,” said Michael Slowik, CEO of X2F. “Key applications in electric vehicle batteries, metaverse hardware, and mobile phones are driving customer engagement.” X2F claims its new moulding technology enables the manufacture of complex product designs using previously “unmouldable” materials from prototyping to production-scale. The controlled viscosity process reduces material degradation and moulded-in stress, the company claims. The process also allows for the use of greater amounts of filler and additives than is currently possible. Current applications that use the machines include optics, overmoulded electronics, and highlyfilled engineering resins. For highlyfilled resins like polyetheretherketone (PEEK), X2F says the process permits increased glass or carbon fibre loadings, which may improve strength and stiffness by 20%.

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P POLYTAG CEO ALICE RACKLEY, EXPLAINED HOW OWNERSHIP OF PET DRINKS BOTTLES, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN BE TRACED VIA THE CONSUMER FROM THE RETAILER TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES

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Automation

FOR THE FUTURE

t appears that the COVID-19 pandemic has been somewhat of a slingshot for automation technology and Industry 4.0 operations in manufacturing. It’s not just robots doing the dirty, unfulfilling jobs on the factory floor either; it’s a culmination of advances in the use of data and software to improve productivity, recyclability, and transparency, which many sustainability leaders agree is key to a functioning circular economy. CONSISTENT DIGITAL SOLUTIONS During a recent webinar discussing the use of automation and robotics to boost kerbside recycling in Conwy, recycling technology company PolyTag CEO Alice Rackley explained how ownership of PET drinks bottles, for example, can be traced via the consumer from the retailer to the local authorities, and how bringing the everyday consumer into the value chain through simple-touse mobile apps and deposit reward schemes has increased kerbside recycling uptake: “As a nation, we are struggling with low and stagnant recycling rates […] In the last 11 years there has been no improvement in recycling rates. Improving an entire country’s recycling rates won’t be delivered through small, isolated initiatives. Waste collection is a collective issue, and it needs a collaborative and consistent approach.” There is often talk about a waste revolution going on in manufacturing, particularly where plastics packaging is concerned. As B2B media journalists, we read about it in press releases every day, and many are keen to approach us at trade fairs and conferences to share their own ideas. But how can assistive software and technology be rolled out to those that are not regular readers of such platforms?

Where government legislation might be getting stuck, I believe that technology and innovation can be the alternative catalyst.

PolyTag is developing technology that harnesses the power of a mobile phone and QR codes. To return to the opening paragraph, we everyday mobile phone users are far more familiar now with such technology than we were pre-pandemic. STANDARDS ENABLE COLLABORATION “By making data-sharing easy and accessible,” Rackley continued, “by being open and transparent, and if it’s supported by great legislation, even better. “One of the solutions being developed by the PolyTag team is technology to enable digital deposit return schemes … The pilot happened in Conwy, North Wales [where] over 15 years, the council has transitioned from just a 15 per cent recycling rate to a massive 70 per cent, which is world-leading.”

“There are a few key pieces of policy that are linked to the resources and strategy published in 2018,” Rackley added. “These indicate that legislative drivers are imminent that will encourage the transition to circularity.

In Conwy, 325 households were recruited into the scheme. 271 (83 per cent) registered for the mobile app. Of these, 263 (97 per cent) scanned at least one bottle during the pilot, and 90 per cent scanned four or more.

“There are governmental delays to decision making [connected to] a lack of recycling data. Where government legislation might be getting stuck, I believe that technology and innovation can be the alternative catalyst.”

To summarise, easy household adoption, coupled with existing council infrastructure and innovative software and data, helped keep high-value plastics in the collection system and empowered residents to engage with recycling through technology. As a bonus, consumers no longer had to travel to local recycling centres, thus saving themselves time, money and additional carbon footprints.

Rackley exemplified the initiative of Conwy Town Council to illustrate her point. For this case,

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MASTERBATCH* • Name: Performance Masterbatches • Occupation: Masterbatch manufacture with 47 years experience • Specialist subject: Colouring all types of plastics

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OmniTest materials testers and VectorPro MT materials testing software • Intuitive drag and drop GUI for fast test creation • Touchscreen enabled • Extensive suite of calculations for materials testing • 5 models available: 5, 7.5, 10, 25 and 50 kN • Optional extensometry and full range of test ﬁxtures

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BREAKING

DOWN

I IT’S NO SECRET THAT DATA CAN HELP AT SEVERAL STAGES IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS – INCLUDING MOULD TRYOUT. BUT HOW DO YOU USE THE DATA EFFECTIVELY? MOLDEX3D EXPLAINS.

BARRIERS

ould tryouts are conducted after the mould is completed and before the mass production of injection moulded products. At this stage, different moulding parameters must be tested repetitively for the optimal settings. Thus, users are able to acquire products that can meet their needs and proceed with mass production. In addition to adopting the CAE simulation results and referring to the machine characteristics, users must also rely on experts’ experience to find the optimised parameters. However, without the leadership of the experts, and when the historical data is mostly recorded on paper, it is not easy to sort out useful data and will waste a lot of time and resources.

The iSLM Mold Tryout Management provides standardised recording processes for mould tryouts. The on-site operation engineer can accurately record the important parameters of injection moulding by corresponding to their working progress. To enable the engineers to record mould tryout data more easily, the iSLM Mold Tryout Management also provides a user interface approaching that of a real on-site injection machine, which greatly simplifies the process of matching the form columns with the real machine. In addition, its Optical Character Recognition (OCR) model developed through the deep learning technology enables users to directly record by taking pictures.

To efficiently manage and access data, digitalisation and storing it on cloud are necessary. Thus, users can directly access the historical experiences through analytics and the data visualisation tools without relying on experts. The iSLM Mold Tryout Management is the cloud-based platform designed for the mould tryout workflow. It not only helps enterprises digitalise the big data, but also provides the feature for comparing the experimental and CAE data.

After mould tryout recordings, iSLM also provides a mould tryout form customisation feature, which can convert the recording into a mould tryout report and output it based on the traditional form format, so that users can read the data in their familiar format. When the mould tryout is completed, it is not applicable to visually inspect the products surface and quality, or measure the key area dimensions through the measuring instrument. The reason is, both methods cannot be comprehensively compared with the CAD files drawn by the CAD engineers and the analysis results from the CAE engineers. On the other hand, the iSLM Mold Tryout Management can record not only the moulding parameters of the mould tryouts, but also the quality of the product. Moreover, it can compare it with the CAD or CAE results for different quality factors or test results. Lastly, mould engineers need to make reports or present to their supervisors. It used to take a lot of time to organise the data, even if it has been stored on the web platform. To overcome this, the iSLM Mold Tryout Management provides the PowerPoint report generation function, containing the comparison of the complete mould tryout recordings and CAE results. Introducing the iSLM platform, enterprises will be able to break the barriers for engineers to enter the production line through systematic management, and greatly reduce the effort on document processing. It enables enterprises to effectively utilise historical data for high-efficiency production.

TOP LEFT: Comparing the experimental results of short shot and the moulding parameters LEFT: The OCR feature of machine interface: the snapshot (left) and the recognition results 34

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Sales Executive for Recycled Polymers UK At Vanden, we have a mission to: “Build the world’s largest recycled plastics commodities company” Your role will be to generate sales for recycled plastic resins (rLDPE, rPET, rPP, rHDPE) to plastic manufacturers and converters in the UK. You will be tasked with building relationships and deal making on both spot trade (sometimes under tight deadlines) and longterm opportunities. Developing a diverse

range of customers who use recycled plastics in different applications to ensure we have reliable trade routes, in all market conditions, for all available materials. Working closely with local and global teams, communicating with colleagues across the world every day, a highly collaborative and entrepreneurial

Essential Duties & Responsibilities • Execute sales for recycled products (Resins) sourced from our local & global locations • Identify all prospective customers within each application for our available materials, understand their needs and move towards sale. Keeping the pipeline full at all times. • Consistently close deals with customers across a variety of applications to ensure consistent sale of a wide range of qualities and in all market conditions • Actively seek out new sales opportunities and conduct market research, cold calling, networking, social media lead generation, attending conferences and trade fairs. • Perform customer site visits to build relationships and discover market information

mindset are key to being a top performer. Developing a solid understanding of the technical side of plastic processing is a key requirement as you must use a consultative approach with customers to help integrate recycled content into their products. The role requires you to take complete ownership of business development from research and prospecting all the way through to negotiation of terms.

Person Specification • A minimum of 3+ years’ proven successful commodity sales experience • Ideally a university graduate but not a must • Knowledge of the plastics production, conversion, recycling and / or waste management industries would be beneficial • Our Non-Negotiables: Action oriented, Builds strong relationships, Curious, Driven to learn, Empathetic, Investigative, Reflective, Resilient, Resourceful, Seeks feedback, Trustworthy • Skilled deal maker and negotiator • Values team above self

An excellent communicator, you will demonstrate an optimistic and persistent approach, always open to giving and receiving feedback on performance. Not willing to settle for second best, challenges are seen as an opportunity to learn.

VANDEN VALUES Teamwork, Add Value, Growth, Ownership, Enjoy The Ride and Gratefulness

Email CV to: C.Dobson@vandenrecycling.com

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M MARTIN WHEELER, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, TINIUS OLSEN, DISCUSSES WHY INDUSTRY 4.0 PLANNING CAN BE EXTENDED FROM THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS TO THE MATERIALS TESTING LAB.

he fourth industrial revolution is here, underpinned by increasing connectivity and automation. For materials and device testing platforms, this means systems capable of performing a test automatically with data flowing instantaneously through to wherever it is needed. In discussing automation needs with clients, at Tinius Olsen we have found it useful to start by understanding which one of three classifications meets your expectations for the technology and your ROI. These classifications are created to work for us but are broadly applicable to most situations and can be adapted or expanded upon. CLASSIFICATION 1; “NO WALKING PAPER” The automation of processes within a materials testing station/platform – everything is automated except an operator still enters and removes the test specimen. This replaces basic machines and testers. At this technology level the operator is still present during a test and still picks and places the specimen into the tester, but then simply says “Start test” or makes one mouse click to start the test. Everything else is automatic, including test pass/fail, alert notifications and digital data flow into the user’s process. CLASSIFICATION 2; “LIGHTS OUT WORKING” Automation including pick and entry of test specimen and removal of specimen. Here integration with the user’s process, as with classification (1), is in the form of data flow in (specimen information) and results data out appended to this information. This level of automation requires nominal unskilled operator intervention limited to loading test specimens for a “shift” into a feeding rack system on the peripheral of an automated testing cell.

With space at a premium in the lab facility, Tinius Olsen employed its standard technology building blocks approach to deliver a single automated test cell. 36

CLASSIFICATION 3; “TOTAL PROCESS AUTOMATION” Full automation through “intimate” integration with the user’s wide scale process, achieved by the user themselves or their contracted developer and integrated process provider. Here, as part of the Tinius Olsen solution, we provide a remote interface for automation developers, ie. an API (Application Programming Interface) which the automation/integration development team use to incorporate the Tinius Olsen system into the wider process. This level of automation requires no operators - test specimens can be delivered to the Tinius Olsen system from manufacture by AGV (Automated Ground Vehicles) and the specimen handling (robotics) is part of the developer’s solution.

Here is a good example of an automated tensile ASTM D 638 and flexural ASTM D790 solution that we delivered recently under the need classification (2): A global polymer matrix composite manufacturer using glass, carbon and fibres in its composites needed a method to ensure minimal operator intervention and monitoring of tensile and flexural tests on its glass-filled composite materials. Even though the company does not test a high number of batches a day, the several it does test must adhere to careful and fixed monitoring to ensure product quality and comply with industry standards, such as ASTM D638 tensile and ASTM D790 flexural. With space at a premium in the lab facility, Tinius Olsen delivered a single “automated test cell” that incorporates two materials testing machine frames—one for tensile tests, the other for flexural tests. Data integration is seamless from the client’s perspective, with data and specimens going in and spent specimens and data coming out.

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J JASON CHESTER, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL CHANNEL PROGRAMS AT INFINITYQS, EXAMINES THE FUTURE OF DIGITALISATION IN MANUFACTURING.

Accelerating the path to SUSTAINABILITY with DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

igital transformation has been one of the key industry themes for several years, but recently it has become a major strategic priority for most organisations. As an impact of the pandemic, and the operational and IT weaknesses that were brought into sharp relief as a result, digital transformation of legacy systems and processes is now seen as a critical and urgent requirement. Indeed, many industry analysts and pundits suggest that we may see decades of innovation in this area occur over the next five years. But what is the situation like currently and what does the future hold? DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITHIN MANUFACTURING While we are seeing more and more manufacturers invest in digital transformation initiatives, the reason for them doing so is shifting. Prior to the pandemic, it was almost entirely focused on business performance outcomes – improvements in efficiency and productivity, for example – and the impact of those on the bottom line. In other words, the motives where solely framed around mostly commercial benefits. However, during the pandemic, the driving force swiftly changed to the mitigation of risk – either from an operational perspective or a strategic perspective. For example, is the organisation able to withstand significant disruption across the supply chain and cope with volatility in demand or logistics? Is the organisation flexible and agile enough to respond to uncertainty that was changing on a weekly, if not daily basis? Is the organisation able to cope with large numbers of employee absences or remote working requirements, yet still maximise output? While both drivers remain an important and valid case for digital transformation, another will begin to take centre stage in 2022 – and that is sustainability. SUSTAINABILITY LEADING THE WAY Organisations across every industry and of all sizes are now recognising the responsibility and scrutiny being placed on them by governments, consumers, and society to become much more environmentally responsible in their business activities. A recent global sustainability report by Nielsen found that 81% of respondents feel strongly that companies should

While we are seeing more and more manufacturers invest in digital transformation initiatives, the reason for them doing so is shifting.

help improve the environment by implementing new technology programs. From waste, resource usage, carbon emissions and recycling, for example, organisations will increasingly turn to digital transformation initiatives to optimise efficiency and productivity and this significantly reducing unnecessary environmental impact. For manufactures to truly make an impact they must rethink how they design their products and how they design, manage and monitor their end-to-end production processes. But they must not overlook how by optimising their production processes to minimise waste and maximise efficiency and productivity will also contribute significantly to the mitigation of any negative environmental impacts. Having a productive and efficient production system has always been an important aspect of manufacturing operations, with the aim being to secure profits, growth, and stakeholder value. Yet, if a product does not meet the correct specification, it goes to scrap, waste or for rework. While many manufacturers recognise that has a negative impact on performance, the unused resources that go in to making that product is also wasted, whether human resource, machinery or tool wear, energy and natural resources or raw materials. While this approach to quality is important to ensure organisations continue operating well and keep their customers happy, their mindset must evolve to also understand how that waste is impacting the overall environment footprint of their operations. Efficiency and productivity in manufacturing is now quite simply becoming more about corporate, social and environmental responsibility than just business performance. The drive towards optimising manufacturing efficiency and productivity should no longer centre solely around performance and profit but equally revolve around sustainability, with sustainable practices being at the forefront of any manufacturer’s digital transformation strategy.

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Zero Defect Moulding – What’s your target? Cycle time reduction Reduced scrap rates Improved process capability Higher yield and OEE

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Kistler Instruments Ltd

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As part of our ongoing strategy we are looking to aquire an additional business ideally with a current turnover of between £1-3m PA

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Magog Industries Ltd, 10 Crane Mead, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9PY T: +44(0)1920 465201 E: enquiries@magog.co.uk

Goldcrest Engineering Technologies Ltd Unit 15 St Johns Way, St Johns Business Estate, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 0QQ

Unique group of engineering companies specialising in the development, design & manufacture of Granular Polymer Dehumidifying Dryers under the “Drymaster” Brand

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TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN 01244 952519

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TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN: 01244 952519 40

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

SECONDHAND AND RECONDITIONED Cooper Plastics Machinery

8 Lyall Court, Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1UX T: 01525 719850 E: Cooperplastics@gmail.com W: www.cooperplastics.co.uk Extruders, water baths, haul-offs, fly knife cutters, conveyors/tip tables, in-line punches, coilers etc. New and used. Repairs, servicing or rebuilds. UK agent for Lyons Electronics.

DTL Machinery UK

- We buy / sell all makes / age / sizes of Plastic Injection Moulding Machinery & Ancillaries equipment. - We also buy redundant, nonrunners & faulty machinery. - Machinery repair and maintenance services available. T: 01925 596170 M: 07838138342 E: info@dtlmachinery.co.uk E: douglastrading@gmail.com

TransXL International Ltd

Plastics Processing Machinery Bought & Sold, Thornhill, South Marston, Wiltshire SN3 4TA T: 01793 827666 F: 01793 823826 E: sales@transxl.co.uk W: www.transxl.co.uk

BP&R BUYER’S GUIDE MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT second hand & re-conditioned

BUSINESS FOR SALE

TESTING EQUIPMENT Gammadot Rheology Testing & Consultancy Services

Buying, Selling, Merging? Whatever your business needs, Richmond Capital Partners are the industry experts with a proven track record of guiding acquirers or sellers through the process of buying, selling and merging. Contact Paul Holohan in complete confidence on 07798 530684

Refurbished machines with fault and leak free guarantee. We buy & sell all manner of plasscs equipment. Visit our workshop in Wellingborough, Northants. 01933 272747

sales@stvmachinery.co.uk www.stvmachinery.co.uk

richmondcapitalpartners.com

‘USED INJECTION MOULDING MACHINERY DEALERS’

Single Machines to whole plants purchased Tel: David 07540 633552 info@plasticinvestments.co.uk www.plasticinvestments.co.uk

New & Used

For Sale & Wanted Branson-Mecasonic-Telsonic Sonotrodes (Horns) all Frequencies Fixtures, Repairs, Service, Parts Sub-Contract Welding, Hire & Consultancy

Tel; 07730 413197 Tel; 01258 459257

als.ultrasonics@gmail.com www.als-ultrasonics.co.uk

G Wood Developments

Call for Details 07767290539

MAPRA Technik Co — BAREISS

INSPECTION & MEASUREMENT

For Sale

Small Plastic Injection Moulding Business Supplying The Electrical Trade In North East Wales

HARDNESS - IRHD AND SHORE For Bareiss of Germany IRHD & SHORE hardness testers, Abrasion & Rebound testers. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk

new & used

Ultrasonic Plastic Welders

Unit 5C, Leaton Industrial Estate, Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 3AP T: 01939 291677 E: enquiries@gammadot.com W: www.gammadot.com Providing independant testing solutions to all your quality control, failure analysis & flow simulation data needs

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN 01244 952519

MAPRA Technik Co – DOSS

MARCEL AUBERT – KAFER

For DOSS visual solution of Italy –Inspection & sorting machines for O’rings, Seals, Gaskets. T: 020 8508 4207 F: 020 8502 5107 E: info@mapra.co.uk W: www.mapra.co.uk

PRINTERS

SERVICES TESTING/CONSULTANCY

TRAINING

PRINTERS OF PLASTIC MOULDINGS Total Print Ltd

Specialist Pad Printers Station Road, Gedney Hill, Lincolnshire PE12 0NP T: 01406 330122 F: 01406 330123 E: info@totalprintltd.com W: www.totalprintltd.com Sub-Contract Pad Printers to the Plastics Industry

PRINTERS OF INJECTION MOULDED PRODUCTS & COMPONENT PARTS

MONITORING

MOULDFLOW ANALYSIS

SOFTWARE

Looking To Outsource Your Branding? – We Can Help. Specialist Sub-contract Pad, Screen, Digital and Laser Engraving Services. Premier Impressions Ltd Units 10-11, E.Plan Estate, New Road, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 0EX T: 01273 512512 E: sales@premierimpressions.co.uk W: www.premierimpressions.co.uk

COMPONENT PRINTERS TAMPO.SCREEN.FOIL

Improve OEE Reduce downtime Increase throughput Reduce scrap

Contour Marking Co Ltd Albert house, Gledrid Industrial Park, Chirk ,Wrexham, LL14 5DG T: 01691 770093 F: 01691 770023 Sub Contract Tampo, Screen & Foil Printing to the plastic moulding industry E: sales@contourmarking.com W: www.contourmarking.com

60 Day Free Trial www.intouchmonitoring.com

TO ADVERTISE IN THis SPACE CONTACT MANDY O’BRIEN: 01244 952519 www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

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PHILIP LAW, DIRECTORGENERAL OF THE BRITISH PLASTICS FEDERATION (BPF), WEIGHS IN ON THE NEWS THAT THE UN IS NOW OFFICIALLY PURSUING A GLOBAL TREATY ON PLASTICS USE.

from the director

ews of a future UN global treaty designed to prevent plastics waste ending up in the environment has just been released, although it’s been in gestation for some time. It’s something the plastics industry supports as we share both the common aim of stopping the mismanagement of plastucs waste and the approach to it via an international treaty. It is a global and not a local problem. However I was taken aback by the article which appeared in ‘The Times’ a couple of weeks ago by Inger Anderson who is head of the UN Environmental Programme and under whose aegis this treaty will be developed. It was very passionately written, indeed calling for a ‘war against plastics’. In my response I called for diplomacy, not war and expressed the view that the problem of plastics waste, the reasons for its occurrence and methods of its remediation should be subject to a balanced review without being clouded by emotion. BPF will be briefing UK government officials as the negotiations proceed.

entered the fray and recommended the sale of some items of fresh produce to be sold loose with no packaging. Unfortunately there had been little consultation with manufacturing industry and this took many stakeholders by surprise. Even worse, one of the products recommended for this approach was the cucumber – the very icon of ‘packaging keeps food fresher for longer’ campaigns. We were quick to point out that the recommendation was based on a study of just a small number of food items and their lifespan in the home and it sidestepped the reality that many fresh products travel hundreds if not thousands of miles on their journey from farm to fork, packaging is required to protect and preserve them – and plastic packaging still excels at this with its lightweight, strength and provision of a moisture barrier, in addition to other unique benefits. Critically, it also ignored the need to maintain a high level of hygiene around supermarket shelves and to provide systems of traceability for foodstuffs.

One point which struck me in Ms Anderson’s article was the image she conveyed of a plastics industry which, with its own unique interests, stands apart from the rest of society like a pariah. Nothing could be further from the truth! The industry in the UK alone employs 180,000 people, even without applying a multiplier for family dependents or employees of supporting businesses. They breathe in the same air and walk in the same hills as the rest of society. Very many of them are committed environmentalists. Plastics companies are established parts of their local communities. Society benefits from their products. Take healthcare: if you stripped plastics out of hospitals you would be left with little more than metal framed beds. Vital lifesaving implants are made from plastics. Many surgical interventions would be impossible without plastics. The plastics industry is well and truly integrated into society and the modern innovations we rely upon.

One of the industry’s current difficulties is its restricted access to potential employees, particularly trained engineers, technical staff and shopfloor workers. Having given this considerable thought, there is perhaps one under-used and available resource to hand and that is the growing band of consultants, many of whom, until not long ago, were employed in senior technical roles in the industry. Some of them have conveniently banded together under the umbrella of the Plastics Consultancy Network, which has been going since about 1988, and is affiliated to the BPF. It’s well worth having a look at its membership, as it extends over all branches of plastics and rubber – and the combined experience isn’t numbered in decades, it’s in centuries!

It’s been quite a month for controversy. The Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP)

If you have a particular issue that you need assistance with, one of their expert members could well be in a position to help. Alternatively, they might be able to form a team of experts to resolve your problem. The best point of entry is www.pcn.org

The industry in the UK alone employs 180,000 people, even without applying a multiplier for family dependents or employees of supporting businesses.

www.britishPLASTICS.co.uk

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BP&R March 2022

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