How can your business eliminate plastic waste entering the environment? Challenges, solutions and funding opportunities
A webinar by the UK Circular Plastics Network, KTN and WRAP Cymru, supported by UKRI and the Welsh Government.
In the UK, the amount of recycled plastic in non-packaging applications is thought to be low, unlike in packaging applications which has recently seen a significant increase. In Wales, it is estimated that just 10% of the plastic used by manufacturers is recycled material.
Webinar recording is now available
Changes in the plastic waste/pollution policy landscape, user sustainability trends and material supply chain issues – among other factors – have created both challenges and opportunities for innovators, researchers and manufacturers. There is an opportunity to create value from plastic waste. This could involve new or improved, commercially and environmentally advantageous technologies or business models.
A number of government-funded initiatives are in place to foster collaborations, accelerate R&D towards plastics circularity, and facilitate the use of recycled plastics on a commercial scale. These include the UK Government’s £60m Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, and the Welsh Government’s £6.5m Circular Economy Fund grant scheme, delivered by WRAP Cymru.
About this event
This event was primarily aimed at businesses and organisations active in R&D and/or supporting R&D towards plastics circularity, including manufacturers using – or looking to use – recycled plastic. The event will be of particular interest to manufacturers in Wales.
This event helped businesses and organisations to:
- learn about recent regional and national innovations to work sustainably with plastics, with focus on non-packaging applications;
- learn about opportunities for incorporating and specifying more recycled content in products;
- learn about national and regional initiatives, funding and support to work sustainably with plastics;
- discuss challenges and opportunities to work sustainably with plastics; and
- network with speakers and other delegates during and after the event.
Who should attend?
Are you a business or an innovator who…?
- Designs, uses, discards, re-uses or recycles plastic or products containing plastic?
- Manufactures plastics and/or products containing plastic (incl. synthetic textiles) in Wales?
- Operates as a business intermediary, working with manufacturers in Wales?
- Wants to learn about trials that are being undertaken in Wales to demonstrate how barriers to using recyclate can be overcome?
- Wants to learn about opportunities to collaborate with local and nation-wide organisations to work sustainably with plastics?
- Wants to find out more about UK and Welsh Government-funded initiatives to work sustainably with plastics (incl. technical textiles)?
- Is interested in discussing with other delegates the challenges and opportunities you have to work sustainably with plastics?
If any of the above apply to you, you are invited to register for this event by the UK Circular Plastics Network (UKCPN) in collaboration with WRAP Cymru, which is funded by the Welsh Government. The UKCPN initiative is supported by UKRI delivered by KTN and forms part of the Plastics Research Innovation Fund (PRIF). We reserve the right to prioritise attendance.
Programme
- 09:30: Welcome to the KTN/UKCPN | Veronica Sanchez-Romaguera, Knowledge Transfer Manager for Materials Circularity, KTN/UKCPN
- 09:35: Overview of WRAP Cymru | Bettina Gilbert, Programme Manager, WRAP Cymru
- 09:40: Working sustainably with plastics: innovations and funding opportunities supported by the UK government | Veronica Sanchez-Romaguera, Knowledge Transfer Manager – Materials Circularity, KTN/UKCPN
- 9:55: The £6.5m Circular Economy Fund for Wales, including examples of how recipients are utilising their capital grants | Sarah Taylor, Grants Specialist, WRAP Cymru
- 10:10: Supply chain demonstration projects: collaborative trials to showcase how barriers to using recycled plastic in manufacturing can be overcome | Costa Athanatos, Business Account and Project Delivery Manager, WRAP Cymru
- 10:25: Comfort break
- 10:30: Supply chain demonstration projects: Examples from the construction and transport of hazardous goods sectors | Edward Kosior, Managing Director, Nextek Ltd.
- 10:50: Recycled plastics in construction and agricultural applications-opportunities and challenges | Rob Elias, Director of the Bio-Composites Centre at Bangor University
- 11:15: Facilitated delegate discussions: Challenges and opportunities for the use of recycled plastic in non-packaging plastic applications
- 11:45: Q&A session
- 11:55: Wrap-up
- 12:00: Event ends
On-line networking and collaboration platform
If you would like to network with speakers and other delegates, please sign up to our Meeting Mojo platform. Those who register for the event can upload their profile, search other users’ profiles and direct message and/or set up 1:1 virtual meetings with other users via the platform. The link to meeting mojo will be issued on registration.
Related programme
UK Circular Plastics Network (UKCPN)
The UK Circular Plastics Network (UKCPN) aims to bring together the diverse users of plastic products and realise the best means for reducing plastic waste entering the environment through a programme of networking and knowledge-sharing events and related support activities.