BP&R Jul/Aug 23

INTERPLAS AT 75: conference lineup announced

Distrupol drives sustainable change – see page 18

INTERPLAS The pre-show report

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SHIBAURA IS COMING New machines hit the UK at Interplas

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Plastics innovation has tripled — but the UK must keep pace

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Incorporating Polymer Age and Rubber and Plastics Age.

Never let it be said the plastics industry stands still. A new report landed in my inbox this week, which found that innovation in plastics technologies has more than tripled since 2015. The key driver? It’s not hard to guess, it is of course, sustainability. Specifically, sustainability as driven by legislation. The report, which came to me from GovGrant, also found that rubber innovation is the leading technology in the UK, with over 30 technologies filed in the period from 2015.

The report also found that the majority of the innovation was coming from the far east. Now, it’s worth noting that the measure of ‘innovation’ used here is based on patent filings – certainly not the only yardstick (and not a measure of commercial viability, either). China and Japan bagged nearly half of the patent filings in plastic innovation. Europe came second to Asia: Germany made the top four countries for patent filings, with the UK coming in seventh place.

I would expect the UK to move up that ranking in the next couple of years. For one thing, the plastics packaging tax, while currently raking in more money for HMRC than was ever predicted, will have to be a catalyst for innovation eventually. We’re already seeing some new technologies being developed –the University of Manchester spin-out Recon2 additive for quantifying recycled material content, for example, is receiving significant interest from brand owners.

Legislation – and speculative legislation – since 2015 has ramped up. The Paris Agreement was in 2015, the plastic packaging tax, and a UNbacked agreement for a global plastics treaty all mean that countries have to start backing those technologies that will ensure plastic can be used and reused responsibly and sustainably. With a single-use plastic ban due to take effect in England from October, plus the PPT, plus a recently announced £3.2 million investment in UKRI’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP), it seems here in the UK there’s no end to the amount

of incentives, bans, taxes and regulations designed for keeping the industry as green as possible. However, as we saw with the PPT, in practise it’s not a quick process. While the innovators are busying themselves trying to produce the technology to adhere to new rules, the processors and converters must find ways to adapt and keep up with the pace of change.

Raffi Schieir, Director of Prevented Ocean Plastic, said: “Innovation in plastic technology is crucial, as businesses try to reduce their environmental impact and carbon footprint, but the single biggest area where they can have an immediate effect is to accelerate their use of recycled material. That’s not to say material is the only source of innovation available to manufacturers, but it’s those early adopters who will quickly distinguish themselves from the pack in today’s commercial landscape.” We caught up with Raffi recently to talk through the challenges facing innovators, plus much more – so be sure to susbscribe to the Interplas Insights podcast via your app of choice.

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“While the innovators are busying themselves trying to produce the technology to adhere to new rules, the processors and converters must find ways to adapt and keep up with the pace of change.”

British Plastics and Rubber

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Reduce weight, costs and environmental impact. Our new blowing agent masterbatch allows our customers to lightweight their mouldings. This can offer a reduction of up to 10% in material volumes and costs.

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Fast colour matching, plus an odour reducing additive. We deliver dozens of colour matches for use in recycled plastics every week. Our colour suite provides an option to visit us, to approve colour samples on-site. This free service saves time as several new colours can be approved in a single day. This facility is great when colouring recycled plastics. We can demonstrate exactly how a specific batch of recyclate will impact the end colour of your moulded component. We’ve also developed an odour neutraliser additive to reduce the smells often apparent in PCR material.

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INTERPLAS 2023

On its 75th anniversary, Interplas looks set to make a triumphant return as one of the international plastic industry’s major fixtures.

Interplas is BACK

Taking place across halls 3A and 4 at the NEC, Birmingham from 26-28 September 2023, with over 500 exhibitors on the floor, this year’s show reflects a vastly different industry to that of COVID-era Interplas 2021. On a local level, the plastics packaging tax, soaring energy costs, and reshoring/offshoring again have all presented challenges – but also opportunities – for stakeholders across the supply chain. On a global level, the war in Ukraine, oil and gas prices, and talk of a global plastics treaty have also sent ripples through the sector.

With these factors in mind, the team at Interplas have spent the last two years working with the UK plastics industry to deliver an event that will start new discussions and inject contemporary innovation and learning. That learning will begin on the new Interplas Insights conference stage, which combines short, snappy sessions with longer, interactive panel sessions. This fresh new format promises a dynamic lineup, with over 40 sessions and 70-plus speakers scheduled to present.

Themes for the sessions include: ‘Designing in Plastics: Materials of the Future’, ‘The Future of UK Plastics’, ‘A Road to Net Zero and A Circular Economy ’,‘Digitalisation for Sustainable Manufacturing’, ‘Diversity in Plastics’ and ‘Research and Development in Plastics’.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR’S AGENDA INCLUDE:

Digitalisation for Sustainable Manufacturing:

· The Importance of Industry 4.0 in the UK Plastics Industry to Jaguar Land Rover

· Achieving Sustainable Plastic Products with Data-Driven All-Electric Injection Moulding – Bloom in Box

The Road to Net Zero & A Circular Economy: What the Industry is Doing to Tackle Plastic Pollution – Plastic Bank

· Top Tips for Plastics Processors to Achieve Net Zero –Tangram Technology

The Future of UK Plastics:

· The Big Debate: Reshoring and Contract Manufacturing – Panel in association with British Plastics & Rubber Magazine

· Innovations Changing the Polymer Sector

– Panel in association with UK Circular Plastics Network & Innovate UK KTN

For the visitor less concerned with industry trends, and more concerned with the latest cutting-edge technology for moulders and converters, the Introducing Stage will be a showcase for the best of the show floor, with everything from NIR absorbers for plastic, to double filtration technology being presented.

Throughout the three days, attendees will get the opportunity to meet with speakers in an intimate and collaborative setting. To enhance the on-site networking, the official event app will have the ability to offer personal recommendations using an AI powered matchmaking algorithm. In addition to this will be a dedicated networking area next to the conference theatre, so discussions started during the conference can be continued at length.

DIVERSITY IN PLASTICS

Also new for this year is the launch of a new initiative from Interplas and British Plastics & Rubber magazine: Diversity in Plastics. In an industry that struggles

INTERPLAS 2023

with a paucity of skills, recruitment looms large as a concern for moulders and other processors. The promotion of a culture of diversity – of age, ability, gender identity, race, religion and sexual orientation – is one of the drivers that will help to start closing the skills gap.

The action plan kicks off prior to Interplas opening its doors, with a survey of the industry, in an attempt to understand how the sector approaches DE&I. The survey takes just a couple of minutes, and can be completed at the following link: surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2V2VT56.

The intention of the survey is to establish how well the principles of DE&I have been accepted and understood across the plastics manufacturing landscape. From there, the team behind British Plastics & Rubber magazine, an  InterplasInsights. com, hope to be able to establish a set of key objectives for plastic processors and other key stakeholders to adopt, either as a starting point, or in conjunction with their own, pre-existing in-house DE&I programmes. These objectives will become known as the ‘Pledge for Diversity in Plastics’, and will give employers a tangible way to demonstrate their commitment to their place of work.

BELOW: Live data showing the amount of energy used per unit will be displayed to highlight the efficiency gains offered by Fanuc’s Roboshot.

INSET: Martin Grimshaw, Roboshot Sales Manager at Fanuc UK

It’s no secret that the plastics industry in the UK has a way to go in terms of representation. However, this survey, and the wider Diversity in Plastics initiative, is not about exposing something that is already well-known. Rather, it’s a forum designed to draw out tangible, productive ideas and strategies for helping to close the skills gap, by encouraging people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds into the sector.

The survey is entirely anonymous, and is not designed to disparage businesses who may be yet to adopt a fully-fledged DE&I policy. It is intended only as a means to gain an understanding of the current picture in employment.

Diversity in Plastics will also feature prominently at this year’s Interplas, the leading plastics event for the UK and Ireland, with a conference stream on Thursday 28 September.

The ambition for the meeting – which is open to all visitors and exhibitors at Interplas – is to announce the findings of the survey, and identify the key priority areas for recruitment and inclusive action. Diversity in Plastics is the natural evolution of the earlier Women in Plastics initiative which was profiled at previous editions of Interplas.

AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF MACHINERY

In hall 4, stand D60, Fanuc UK will be showcasing its end-to-end sustainability credentials from raw material handling to final packaging.

The group will feature a live on-stand automated manufacturing cell, comprising a Fanuc all-electric Roboshot injection moulding machine, a Fanuc LR-10iA 6-axis robot arm and ancillary equipment provided by Fanuc’s on-stand partner Hi-Tech Automation, the fully automated system will also display live data showing the amount of energy being used, as well as the cost to run the cell, to highlight the

“With 60% of manufacturers reporting that out of control energy bills are now threatening their business, being sustainable is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ but a business imperative.”

Richard Brown, Chair of Judges Design Innovation in Plastics Awards

Dr Sally Beken Knowledge Transfer Manager –Polymers Innovate UK KTN

Robin Kent Managing Director Tangram Technology

Dr Carmen Torres-Sanchez Reader in Multifunctional Materials Manufacturing Loughborough University

BP&R's editorial advisory board

efficiency gains offered by the Roboshot. “As the Fanuc Roboshot is all electric, it uses 50-70% less energy than hydraulic machines, and 10-15% less energy than other all-electric machines,” said Martin Grimshaw, Roboshot Sales Manager for Fanuc UK. “In fact, it has been proven to be one of the lowest energy consumptions worldwide and one of the lowest total costs of ownership on the market.”

With 60% of manufacturers reporting that out of control energy bills are now threatening their business, being sustainable is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ but a business imperative. The demonstration cell at Interplas will be linked to a clamp meter which will measure in real time the amount of power the unit is drawing from the grid and display it live for visitors to see, as well as the value of that power in pounds and pence.

The Roboshot also measures this data as standard and visitors will be invited to compare the two screens, to gauge the accuracy of the Roboshot’s built-in energy meter. “We are looking forward to proving to Interplas visitors just how much energy can be saved with the Roboshot, and the resulting financial benefits that it can offer,” said Grimshaw.

The standard automation cell being showcased at Interplas features the Fanuc Roboshot S150iB at its heart. As well as low energy consumption, this CNC injection moulding machine offers repeatably high levels of consistency and accuracy, superior mould protection and rapid acceleration.

SHIBAURA LAUNCHING IMMS INTO THE UK MARKET

Shibaura Machine, formerly known as Toshiba Machine, will launch its new injection moulding offering at the show. Interplas is the first UK trade fair for Shibaura Machine since UK distributor, TM Robotics, agreed an exclusive distribution partnership with the manufacturer last year. TM Robotics now handles all industrial robot and injection moulding distribution for Shibaura Machine in the UK and Ireland.

TM Robotics has long been a prominent distributor in industrial robotics and automation and has been supplying Shibaura Machine robots to the market

The series is available in 17 different injection capacities and dimensions

for over two decades. At Interplas 2023, TM Robotics will launch its new product offering from the Japanese manufacturer — the full all-electric injection moulding machine range, plus service and maintenance.

TM Robotics says Interplas presents an excellent opportunity to introduce this offering to the market and meet with potential customers in the plastic parts manufacturing sector. From stand H41, the TM Robotics team will be available to discuss the full range of technologies from Shibaura Machine, including injection moulding machines, industrial robots and integrated solutions that use both technologies.

INSET: Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics

BELOW: The new offering includes the all-electric SXIII injection moulding machine series from Shibaura Machine

“The new offering includes the allelectric SXIII injection moulding machine series from Shibaura Machine,” explained Nigel Smith, managing director of TM Robotics. “The range of machines feature enhanced versatility and performance and streamlined design, providing significantly faster injection speeds than traditional moulding equipment. The series is available in 17 different injection capacities and dimensions and can be used for virtually any moulding application.”

In addition to the supply of the all-electric series, TM Robotics can also obtain parts and perform maintenance for hydraulic Shibaura Machine equipment — and legacy Toshiba Machine-branded moulding equipment that is still in operation in the field.

“Our strength is in our ability to integrate injection moulding machines and robots from Shibaura Machine — we are the absolute experts in this technology for the UK and Ireland”

Dr Michael Junior Hopkins Managing Director Ross Polymer Services

Professor Edward Kosior CEO and Founder Nextek

Dr Thomas Bennett Research Fellow University of Manchester

Pravin S Mistry Global CEO PREA Ltd.

“Our strength is in our ability to integrate injection moulding machines and robots from Shibaura Machine — we are the absolute experts in this technology for the UK and Ireland,” continued Smith. “We encourage those interested in automated solutions for injection moulding to arrange a meeting with our experts at Interplas. The team has impressive knowledge of Shibaura Machine technologies, and we have recently expanded the team with two new injection moulding experts to further support this sales area.”

Peter Coltman and Jakub Urbanek joined the TM Robotics team as injection moulding machine service manager and technical support, last year. Having worked exclusively with Shibaura Machine’s injection moulding equipment since 2018, the engineers can provide expert consultation and advice on any injection moulding query.

Interplas follows a significant new robot launch for TM Robotics. The organisation launched its THE SCARA series for the European market at the Automatica trade fair held in Germany in June 2023. The launch saw TM Robotics introduce two new larger robots to the existing series.

“The THE800 and THE1000 robots are newly available in Europe,” continued Smith. “The THE series is widely recognised as the price-to-performance leader in SCARA robots and is ideal for pick-and-place applications. Alongside these models are a number of sixaxis robot options, many of which are compatible with the Shibaura Machine injection moulding machines for loading and unloading. At Interplas 2023, we will have a video demonstrating this robot integration.”

MAKING A CONNECTION

ABOVE:The highlight at the trade fair stand is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine

INSET: Colin Tirel, MD, Arburg UK

BELOW: The cell will produce Luer connectors made of PP and TPE for the pharmaceutical industry

“We provide our plastics processing customers with efficient technologies to ensure their competitiveness. Especially during these more challenging economic times, not least due to increased energy costs, they can totally rely on us,” said Colin Tirel, Managing Director of Arburg Ltd. “We are seeing a growing interest among our customers in process capability, energy efficiency and digitalisation. Interplas is an excellent platform for showcasing these key topics and our new technology developments.”

to eliminate the

Arburg (stand H4, hall 4) will be exhibiting an efficient production cell that produces Luer connectors made of PP and TPE for the pharmaceutical industry. The centrepiece is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine, handled by a Yaskawa six-axis robot. Closures are capped and threads unscrewed directly in the mould. The high-end solution aims to eliminate the need for a second mould and additional assembly line. This significantly reduces the manufacturing costs.

The highlight at the trade fair stand is a two-component Allrounder More 1600 injection moulding machine with 1,600 kN clamping force and two size 100 electric injection units.

The exhibit produces four ready-to-use Luer connectors at a time within a cycle

“We are seeing a growing interest among our customers in process capability, energy efficiency and digitalisation. Interplas is an excellent platform for showcasing these key topics and our new technology developments.”

time of around ten seconds. Injection moulding requires a delicate touch and precision: the part weight of the PP component is 0.2 grams and the soft TPE component weighs as little as 0.05 grams. The 4+4-cavity mould features Braunform’s RotaricE2 technology. Four servo-electric axes from Arburg›s sister company AMKmotion control the internal mould sequences for core-back, lifting the lid, capping the closures and unscrewing the Luer threads. The compact design translates to a large number of cavities in a small space, with up to 64+64-cavity versions possible in series moulds. The “aXw Control CycleAssist” assistance function generates a graphic comparison of the current times and previously defined reference values for each cycle step. Unproductive time segments can be displayed with a click. This enables the user to reduce the cycle time and makes high productivity programmable in advance.

A six-axis robot from Yaskawa is integrated into the Gestica control system. Similar to the linear Multilift robotic system, it can be programmed quickly and easily directly via the machine controller. For the show, the six-axis robot removes the finished parts from the mould with a four-cavity gripper and feeds them individually to an inline camera inspection. It then deposits them separately by cavity.

The modular Allrounders in the More series are designed for multi-component injection moulding and it is claimed can be flexibly adapted to specific customer and market requirements. They offer more space for larger moulds and a usable ejector stroke, more modularity during assembly, and many optimised features for greater ease of use and simple maintenance. As standard, the machines feature a highly dynamic electric toggletype clamping unit with energy-efficient liquid-cooled servo motors and two electric injection units. This allows all common two-component applications to be realised.

EXTRUSION EXCELLENCE

Extrusion machinery group Xtrutech (hall 4, stand H19) will bring the XTS19 from its XTS line of machines. Said to be the group’s most popular laboratory extruder, it is versatile enough for processing thermoplastics, medical plastics, biopolymers, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. A typical line includes a choice of feeders, waterbath and strand pelletiser. The XTS range also includes

a variety of different ancillaries to allow customers the freedom to create an extruder line according to their preference and processing requirements.

The group also plans to discuss details of the XTS35, another versatile extruder that can serve both laboratory and production functions. The XTS35 is ideally used as a lab machine when higher free volume is necessary. It is also suited to low-scale production and offers a high throughput particularly for specialty products such as biopolymers.

Managing director Ryan Moore said the firm has also been on the expansion path recently: “We are excited to announce the opening of our expanded laboratory facility. This new space will allow us to offer more trials on different extruders and with a greater range of ancillaries. We can now offer in-house trials using our XTS19 line, XTS35 line and High-Speed Mixer. The facility features two floors for our extruder lines plus a conference room for digital viewing.”

Moore added: “XTS extruders are not only efficient to run, with productive outputs, but they also focus on reducing maintenance times and simplifying cleaning. For example, our extruders have a clamshell barrel which can easily be opened and closed so the screws and shafts can be removed, cleaned, or

replaced easily. The barrel features insert liners which again are simpler to maintain and more cost effective to replace when needed. All XTS screw elements are individually segmented to improve the speed and efficiency of replacements.”

The firm says its most popular line for thermoplastics is the XTS19 extruder, water bath and strand pelletiser. For medical plastics, Xtrutech can offer extruder lines that include the XTS11 (its smallest extruder for sampling/R&D), the XTS19 which is also appropriate for sampling/small batch testing and the XTS24 for low scale production and trial formulations. And in biopolymers, the group can offer extruder lines from the XTS19 onwards, as well as air cooled conveyors versus water baths to offer effective cooling for hygroscopic products.

Moore continued: “Interplas provides an invaluable opportunity to network with potential customers, with the chance to demonstrate and discuss the true benefits of our machines. Interplas is a hub for new and exciting projects within the industry and gives us the opportunity to see what advances are happening amongst polymer producers, so that we can continue to innovate our designs to suit the developing needs of our customers.”

INSET: Ryan Moore, MD, Xtrutech

ABOVE: The XTS19 during an HPDE trial

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Two-Platen IMM

Expert of Intelligent Two-Platen IMM

INTERPLAS 2023

Who are you and what do you do?

We are BOY Limited, and we are based centrally in the UK in Northamptonshire. We are the sole distributors of BOY Injection Moulding Machines for the German Manufacturers, Dr BOY GmbH & CO KG, responsible for the UK and Eire.

Our range of machines start at 63KN through to 1250KN and include both fully automatic horizontal machines, as well as machines in vertical orientations for insert and overmoulding applications. Our machines are supplied as hydraulically operated with servo driven technology, maximizing control and energy saving properties. The patented design of the machines ensures a compact footprint but still offering large platens and shot volume capabilities.

The latest ALPHA controls fitted to all the machines allow remote site access from our offices via the internet for fault diagnostics and software updates if needed. Boy Limited have a full aftersales support team offering spares and service assist desk and a full complement of field service engineers based throughout the area.

Why is the UK processing market important to you?

For many years the UK has been a great manufacturing nation and innovative in design. Since Brexit it is imperative that we maintain our status as one of the leading manufacturing nations with particular emphasis on plastics processing, where we have leading experts and companies with the latest technologies. For BOY it is our aim to support our customers to help achieve greater efficiency while reducing running costs and improving technology and to help provide a competitive edge and keep ahead of the game.

Why is Interplas important to you?

For Dr BOY and BOY Limited, Interplas is important to help stimulate the market and to show latest developments from well proven and supportive partners. It is important that we show our customers and prospect alike, that we support the

Ask the experts: BOY LTD

Hall 3A, Stand FF4

industry’s leading exhibition. It is a great opportunity to meet with new companies that we do not necessarily have the opportunity to do during our normal day to day operation, and just as important to meet up with our existing customers who we have worked with for many years.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas

We will be looking to bring along three injection moulding machines, all in operation. These will be a BOY 50E machine including a basic fast cycle application to demonstrate the low energy consumption even at quick cycle rates. We will also be offering a test machine package for all material/ masterbatch labs. This will include a BOY 25E and a plaque tool, and will be demonstrating the parameters that can be recorded step by step. The final machine will be BOY 35E with a technical application.

What are the key features of these innovations?

The machines that we will demonstrate clearly show the full range of machine capabilities from the BOY injection

moulding machines range. This will include: the machine footprint, space these days being a premium consideration, Energy Consumption and optimization programming that can be introduced to minimise power and cooling consumption. The complete packages that we can offer to our customers of machine, mould and ancillary equipment, supported by interesting tailormade finance from our colleagues at GB Finance.

What challenges are your customers facing, and how can your technology help solve them?

Customers are fighting the rising costs of energy, raw materials costs, chain of supply of raw materials, transport costs and rising employment costs to name but a few problem areas.

Our technology can address the power consumption by full use of the machine energy optimisation offered on all the machines. A reliable and consistent range of machines that take up a minimal amount of space in a factory, therefore giving the customer the potential to have more machines in a smaller area, thereby increasing output while decreasing running costs. We can help minimise material waste by including recycle packages and laboursaving devices from our sister company Hi Class Machinery Limited and their complete range of ancillary products.

Now with 3 year warranty on parts and labour

Need to invest in Injection Moulding equipment, but concerned about the impact of the electricity crisis?

BOLE Injection Moulding Machines incorporate the latest Servo Motor technology and patented designs to help reduce your exposure to an ever-changing market.

Worried about delivery times? Don’t be.

We have stock of machines between 50t – 1000t from our EKS, FE and DK ranges which are backed up by our team of in house engineers and a 3 YEAR WARRANTY on non-consumable mechanical parts that can be delivered within 5 days from order.

Contact us to find out about our Part Exchange scheme.

Do you remember the days when buying a moulding machine was a straight choice between German or Italian machines? These days, the choice is different. The Italian manufacturers have either been acquired by Japanese businesses or ceased trading altogether. The Germans are still offering excellent machines to UK buyers and for many, they remain the preferred choice.

However, over the last decade, they’ve been joined by an increasing number of Asian-manufactured machines, vying for position in the UK marketplace, many of which are offered at a price point which looks very appealing.

Choose your supplier carefully

As exclusive UK distributor for the Yizumi range of Asian-made machines and with a long history of refurbishing and selling a wide range of European machines, I believe that we at STV Machinery are able to offer an informed opinion.

If you’re looking to make a comparison between new machines, I’d make the point that the first item for your consideration should actually be the supplier, not the machine itself – particularly if you are considering a brand that’s new to you.

Does the machine supplier have a trained and factorybacked engineering support team and workshop facilities in the UK? Do they hold stocks of the most commonly required spare parts? Do they have a working UK showroom where you can ‘try before you buy’?

Whilst it’s always tempting to go for the lowest purchase price, if the answer to any of the above questions is ‘no’, it makes sense to consider the risks, before you part with any

Moulding Machines: THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A BARGAIN

Richard Perry, Managing Director, STV Machinery, looks at the considerations for capital investment, ahead of the group’s appearance at Interplas this year.

hard-earned cash. A breakdown or technical fault could result in a very long period of costly downtime, which could also damage your reputation and your livelihood. Put simply, the best machine in the world is useless without support, and the cheapest possible machine is actually the most expensive if there’s nobody available to get it working.

At STV Machinery, we have service and support facilities for Yizumi machines that you’d expect from a top European manufacturer, plus a working showroom in Northamptonshire.

What about the machines?

The Yizumi machine range is huge – from 30t to 9,900t. They’re one of the world’s largest machine manufacturers. I’ve visited their plant on a number of occasions. It’s extremely impressive. Yizumi machines are characterised by class leading tie bar space – a feature that most of our customers appreciate.

Typical Yizumi machine specification includes: super low energy servo hydraulic system, test certified at 0.29kw/kg; four 3 phase sockets; double UK socket; dosing socket; double core pull; double air blast; robot interface; caterpillar water supply to moving platen; bypass oil filtration; centralised lubrication; European components; tool kit, mould clamps; mounting feet and first emergency spares.

We look forward to seeing you at Interplas again this year - on Hall 3A, Stand GG10. We’ll be showing three machines, plus our full range of ancillary/automation equipment. It’s going to be a busy, working display with lots to see and discover – as well as some nice freebies for visitors.

We really enjoy working on specialist projects and helping customers that are new to our industry. The more complex the better. We also hope to meet people who may have pre-conceptions about Asianmanufactured machines, so that we’ll have the opportunity to discuss our unique specification developed for the UK market.

Interplas is a great opportunity to meet up with existing customers, as well as those we haven’t met yet. We’re able to showcase what we’ve been working on with our suppliers and some of the latest innovations that can help increase efficiencies for all our customers.

I expect the top of points of discussion this year, will be energy efficiency and ongoing costs. Visitors will be able to see just how efficient our machines are, as well as various options for improving overall production efficiency. We can also look at example consumable prices with our customers to show how value goes beyond the initial machine purchase.

Most importantly, visitors will be able to meet various members of the STV team. I’ll be there along with our sales and engineering teams: the full cross-section of what makes us unique.

STV Machinery is all about delivering the highest possible returns on customers’ investments. It would be great to meet people that would like to trust us with theirs.

Machine refurbishment at STV’s Northamptonshire workshop.

STV Machinery has a working showroom for Yizumi machines at its Northamptonshire headquarters.

ON THE COVER

IN DISCUSSION WITH DISTRUPOL

Dave Gray interviews

James Stanton, commercial and operations director at Distrupol, to find out what material challenges processors are facing, as well as the next generation of novel and innovative resins.

DG: You’re celebrating 60 years in business – what’s the key to your success?

JS: It’s undeniable that the true success of Distrupol comes down to our people. We’ve always managed to maintain a family feel to our business, despite our exponential growth since our establishment in 1963. Our people are our priority, and every single team member is personally dedicated to seeing the business thrive. To demonstrate the point, we’ve got multiple team members who have been with the business for 20-30 years plus, which says to us that Distrupol is a place where people are happy!

DG: Another big anniversary is Interplas, which celebrates 75 years this year. What will you bring to the show?

engineer their products to meet growing sustainability criteria.

DG: And how can you help solve them?

JS: As full-circle solution providers, we support our customers throughout the entire design and development stages of their product(s) life. From product design and material selection, to prototyping, manufacturing processes, testing, and beyond, we help customers meet and exceed their sustainability targets. Our close-knit relationships with key supply partners mean we can bring the latest sustainability technologies to customers to differentiate them in the marketplace.

DG: What are some of the most unique, novel resins you’re supplying lately? For which types of application?

Product pricing, availability, and operational costs aside, what we provide our customers in terms of customer service and support, product solutions and technical expertise, and premium logistical power, differentiates us.

DG: How has the turbulence of recent years impacted Distrupol and its customers?

JS: The turbulence of the pandemic and subsequent ongoing recovery forced us as a business to look at areas outside of our strengths and current success. We have had to think differently, work differently, adapt to different practices and update some of our conventional patterns to allow us to stay flexible in a changing workplace and marketplace. We’ve been mindful of providing a continuous service to customers, who

JS: This year we’re thrilled to be celebrating a milestone anniversary alongside Interplas, and we want to take this opportunity to celebrate success, longevity, and the evolution of the plastic industry during this time. We want to demonstrate how far the industry has come, along with its innovations, pioneering developments and shine a little positive light on an industry that has received its fair share of criticism and negativity in recent times.

DG: What challenges are your customers facing right now?

JS: As we know, the industry is under ever-increasing pressure to prioritise sustainability in all aspects of its operations. From the materials used, to manufacturing processes undertaken, to life cycle analysis, disposal, and more, we know our customers are facing unprecedented demands to re-

JS: We’re very excited about how producers are continuing to revolutionise their existing and emerging portfolios to make them more sustainable. Delrin Renewable Attributed from DuPont, Hytrel ECO B from Celanese, Recycl-IN and biomass materials from INEOS, Trifilon fibrefilled materials, Dryflex Circular & Dryflex Green TPEs from Hexpol, are all examples of unique and novel materials that we offer to customers across our business to design and produce incredible, sustainable products from life-saving medical equipment to the latest EVs, children’s toys to wearable consumables.

DG: How do you keep your business competitive?

JS: The added value we provide our customers with keeps us competitive in a currently rather volatile marketplace.

have faced their own volatility. Whilst our existing customer and suppliers and providing them with the outstanding service that they’ve become accustomed to remains our priority, we have also taken the opportunity to explore alternative markets and geographies.

DG: And as a follow up, what is the future looking like?

JS: As mentioned, our future is looking bright as we excitedly launch businesses in new geographies, including Egypt and the USA. We are taking ourselves from European leader to global leader and our suppliers are excited to share this journey with us. 2023, the year we celebrate our 60th anniversary, has been incredibly challenging thus far, but it has also provided us with great opportunity to think outside the box, even further broaden our horizons and ready ourselves for the next chapter of Distrupol.

“From the materials used, to manufacturing processes undertaken, to life cycle analysis, disposal, and more, we know our customers are facing unprecedented demands to re-engineer their products to meet growing sustainability criteria.”

CASE STUDY:

A North-East moulder has turned back time to help keep North Yorkshire Moors Railway engines on track.

The expertise of a NorthEast manufacturer which has more than a century of its own history has been called upon to help keep the historic steam engines at the 187-year-old North Yorkshire Moors Railway on track.

Earlier this year, Fairgrieve Compression Moulding, of Washington, Tyne & Wear, were sought out for help by Armstrong Oilers, a business which specialises in axle lubrication for heritage locomotives and is part of the North Yorkshire Moors Railways trust in Grosmont, near Whitby.

They were struggling to find a supplier able to manufacture a specialist part of the axle lubricating system for a steam engine, and approached Fairgrieve to see if they were able to assist.

Using drawings and designs for tooling, Fairgrieve sourced materials based on their friction and thermal properties before the product was trialled and tested ahead of being placed into full production.

And thanks to the specialist moulding skills of the Fairgrieve team, the specialist parts were successfully manufactured and have now been delivered.

They’re expected to last for up to 20 years, despite the aggressive conditions they will be subjected to.

Barry Davidson, general manager of Fairgrieve Compression Moulding said: “This enquiry was such a contrast to the many modern, hi-tech challenges we are

Full steam ahead

presented with at Fairgrieve Compression Moulding, as we are used to working in the development of aerospace parts, missile tips, marine engineering, or electrical parts for hazardous mining environments.

“This was a project which tested our capabilities, as we had to get our heads into the days when British manufacturing and engineering was done with the highest standards of precision and quality in a world without the engineering software, computer modelling and cad/ cam design

facilities, which we take for granted these days.”

Products were personally delivered to the customer Mr Davidson and factory supervisor Jon Hutchinson personally delivered the product to the customer, taking the opportunity to take a tour of the facilities and meet the team of engineers who work so hard to restore, maintain and preserve many classic steam locomotives dating back more than a hundred years.

The award winning 187-year-old heritage railway attracts around 350,000 visitors annually and is

run by a charitable trust which owns and operates around 18 miles of railway through the stunning North Yorkshire countryside between Pickering and Whitby.

“We were like two little schoolboys on the visit,” said Davidson. “Their steam locomotives and more modern diesel engines dating back to the 1950s are incredible pieces of British history and, as manufacturers and engineers, to see so many engineers and volunteers who give up their time to help support the fulltime crews who help restore, maintain, and drive these beautiful steam engines from the past was humbling.

“Their work ensures these masterpieces of engineering never stop pulling in the crowds of steam train enthusiasts, families, schools, and tourists from all over the world.

“We are so proud to support Armstrong Oilers and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in preserving these locomotives and keeping them running to keep history alive and allow so many more to enjoy the experience.

“Not many manufacturers can boast that their products will still be functioning in twenty years’ time, but when it comes to the North Yorkshire Moors Railways, every aspect is clearly made to stand the test of time.”

“This was a project which tested our capabilities, as we had to get our heads into the days when British manufacturing and engineering was done with the highest standards of precision and quality in a world without the engineering software, computer modelling and cad/ cam design facilities, which we take for granted these days.”

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Being both innovative and sustainable in the chemical industry is a real challenge. Can new materials be synthesised without the use of solvents?

Ana Mangas, researcher in Mechanochemistry and Reactive Extrusion at AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, writes.

Can plastic recycling become more efficient and environmentally friendly? Mechanochemistry is the answer. Based on its 12 principles, green chemistry offers an unprecedented opportunity to change our understanding of chemistry and its environmental impact. The ability to provide safer, cleaner and more efficient and sustainable processes also makes mechanochemistry one of the most promising areas of green chemistry.

Mechanochemistry: better without solvents

Mechanochemistry is a branch of chemistry that is rapidly going forward as an efficient, sustainable alternative to traditional solvent-based methods. Its origins date back to the 1970s, when researchers began exploring how mechanical forces could trigger chemical reactions. Advances in technology in recent decades have led to the development of more sophisticated equipment and techniques, which have increased interest in this discipline and its application in different fields.

Unlike conventional methods, mechanochemistry does not involve the use of solvents to carry out reactions, thus avoiding problems associated with solvent quality and purity, not to mention toxic solvent waste. This technique helps achieve faster synthesis and, in some cases, can be carried out as a continuous process rather than in batches, which makes it ideal for large-scale production applications. Mechanochemistry can also be used to produce materials with unique properties that are difficult or impossible to obtain by other means, thus making it a valuable tool for research and development of new materials with applications in electronics, energy and medicine, among other sectors.

New horizons

Given its versatility, mechanochemistry is being used in a growing range of industries. It is not only one of the most sophisticated and cost-effective

GOODBYE SOLVENTS: sustainable synthesis and recycling with mechanochemistry

technologies, but has also become an alternative preparation method, which could help minimize the use and formation of hazardous materials and reduce the energy requirements of the process. In fields such as organic chemistry and nanotechnology, mechanochemistry has proven to be effective for the synthesis of a wide range of materials, including catalysts, biopolymers, and pharmaceutical compounds.

Mechanochemistry in organic synthesis represents a milestone in the evolution of green chemistry through the synthesis

of complex molecules without solvents and conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. In addition, this innovative approach shows great potential for the production of high value-added compounds with a lower environmental impact, making it an essential tool for sustainable development in the chemical industry. It has helped researchers obtain materials with surprising properties, such as the ability to catalyse specific reactions with greater selectivity, reactivity, functionality and stability than conventional catalysts, and is also a fascinating technique for synthesis of complex molecules. Moreover, it can

be applied to a wider range of everyday materials, such as plastics.

Plastics are used in a wide variety of products (packaging, car parts, medical devices, cables, textiles...) and have become omnipresent in our daily lives. However, the production and disposal of plastics also require the discovery of more sustainable alternatives due to the considerable environmental challenges they present. One of the most promising solutions is plastic recycling, which reduces the amount of waste and applies circular economy criteria to minimise its environmental impact. Chemical recycling is, in fact, one type of recycling.

It involves breaking polymer chains to obtain materials and substances that can be used in the plastics and chemical industries. These processes are considered a useful alternative to oldfashioned waste management processes, providing the opportunity to recycle certain types of plastics that generally, due to their complexity, contamination or incompatibility, are not recycled.

However, some processes are far away from the 12 principles of green chemistry. Even if waste is properly managed in a way that avoids landfilling, these waste recycling techniques require large volumes of solvents (some of which are highly toxic to the environment and human health) or systems and equipment that require very high levels of energy, which has significant economic and environmental impacts and can also generate greenhouse gases. This is where mechanochemistry plays a key role in the shift towards solvent-free, energy-efficient chemical recycling of plastics. This shift not only affects plastic recycling but has also proven to be of interest for recovering waste from different industries (such as agriculture, consumer goods, electronics and construction) through the use of mechanochemistry to generate high value-added products.

The mechanochemistry project

The Mechanochemistry project being lead by AIMPLAS has the potential to impact several industries, including synthesis of new materials and catalysts and recycling post-consumer plastics. By promoting a more sustainable and efficient view of chemistry, this project can also help address some of the most pressing global challenges, including climate change and resource scarcity.

The project’s main goal is to explore the possibilities of mechanochemistry as a sustainable, efficient alternative to traditional solvent-based chemical processes. It also aims to develop new tools and methods to control and optimize mechanochemical processes, and to improve our understanding of the mechanisms and kinetics of solid-state reactions. Mechanochemistry focuses on two topics with exceptional potential for industrial transformation:

• Research into new ways of synthesizing catalysts and biopolymers

• Developing sustainable methods for recycling post-consumer plastics

“Mechanochemistry plays a key role in the shift towards solvent-free, energy-efficient chemical recycling of plastics”

Mechanochemistry is at the forefront of research into material synthesis and plastic recycling processes because it provides innovative solutions that can change the industrial landscape based on a firm commitment to sustainability and a view to a more responsible future that favours the environment and society. All this will enable companies in the Valencian Community to improve the efficiency of their synthesis and recycling processes, reduce production costs and improve the sustainability of their operations, thus improving their competitiveness.

ACTECO, Laurentia Technologies, PICDA, UBE Corporation Europe, Omar Coatings and Curapath are all collaborating on the project. This project is funded by the Valencian Community’s Ministry for Sustainable Economy, Production Sectors, Trade and Employment through grants from IVACE, and is co-funded by the European Union (ERDF) through the Valencian Community ERDF Operational Programme (2021-2027).

“We want to promote a closed loop for plastic bottles in order to reduce plastic waste and the use of fossil resources in our country”, said Lê Anh, Sustainability Director at Duytan Plastic Recycling. “After spending many years researching recycling technology, Duytan Plastic Recycling found that Austria has a lot of experience with the circular economy. Therefore, in order to produce food-grade recycled PET for the production of high-quality PET bottle preforms, Duytan Plastic Recycling decided to choose recycling lines supplied by the leading PET bottle-to-bottle recycling machine manufacturer in Austria, Starlinger.”

Located at the Duc Hoa Ha Plastic Industrial Zone in Long An Province, Duytan Plastic Recycling has been the first recycling enterprise in Vietnam to engage in PET bottle-to-bottle recycling. The new high-end PET bottleto-bottle recycling line from machinery supplier Starlinger recycling technology, a recoSTAR PET 330 HC iV+, will be delivered and installed during the third quarter of 2023 and is planned to take up production by the end of the year. This bottleto-bottle recycling line is characterised by very energyefficient operation, also due to de use of an underwater pelletising system. Compared to strand pelletisers, underwater pelletisers consume considerably less energy, especially when used in combination with a

Duytan Plastic Recycling Co. Ltd. is the first plastics recycler in Vietnam to produce recycled PET for beverage bottle production. The company is about to install its third Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line which is scheduled to take up production by the end of 2023.

Vietnam’s bottle-to-bottle recycling pioneer

downstream SSP process. Furthermore, the investment costs and operational expenses for the recycling company are lower.

With the additional production capacity, Duytan Plastic Recycling will increase its reprocessing capacity to 60,000 tons of plastics per year, which equals about 4 billion post-consumer plastic bottles.

Currently, Duytan Plastic Recycling operates two PET recycling lines from Starlinger with a yearly production

capacity of 30,000 tons of food-contact rPET pellets. The Starlinger PET recycling process meets the standards of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The rPET produced can be used at quantities of up to 100% for high-quality PET bottle preform production. To ensure a continuous supply of input material, Duytan Plastic Recycling has created a plastic waste collection network with more than 100 collection points all over the country.

In 2022, the facility recycled over 1.3 billion domestically collected plastic bottles.

Duytan Plastic Recycling supplies the produced rPET not only to large FMCG companies in Vietnam, but also exported 4,200 tons to Europe and the US in the past year.

“It's at the forefront of research into material synthesis and recycling processes ”

The solution to Black Packaging

PMB have developed a totally unique Black masterbatch alternative which will allow for the identification of all polymer types by recycling plants. With this exciting launch producers and brand owners will be able to continue to design and offer black packaging but with the added benefit that it can now be sorted and recycled.

Overall there has been 18% Increase in plastics production since 2009, the building and construction sector alone is 23.6% providing around £6.8 billion out of £27 billion total plastics turnover in the UK. Some 508 pipe extruders and 913 producers of rigid and flexible profiles across Western and Central Europe gives some idea of the size of this sector.

Globally it is estimated that some 318 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, of which 218 million tonnes is solid or rigid plastic waste. Global average plastics recycling is at 21% compared with 15% in 2016. According to the ISWA Report (International Solid Waste Association) published 7th May 2021, some 50m tonnes per year of plastic waste is incinerated with 10m tonnes finding its way into oceans and waterways. This has become widely known in the public domain leading to more pressure in finding ways to tackle this issue, but it has been unfairly levelled at the plastics industry itself.

For the processor, major challenges remain: although polymer prices have been dropping, they are still twice the cost per tonne compared to Sept 2020. Issues such as varying material quality, inconsistent stock availability and the plastics tax (if less than 30% recycled plastic is used) have created greater focus on recycling. This has resulted in greater wear on screws and barrels. Recycled plastics can vary significantly in melt flow due to contaminants remaining and moisture. Different plastics are often combined, making the content difficult or impossible to separate into polymer type, colour and structure. For example, PET and PVC must be totally separated. Moisture control remains a big problem especially with PET.

There is movement toward

CHALLENGES FACING PLASTIC RECYCLING

Bioplastics are more temperature sensitive, hence Magog Industries have redesigned extrusion screws to minimise shear. These projects are increasing as processors are increasingly using biopolymers (with natural or organism derived cells) and bio-based polymers (partially or fully chemically synthesised). Changes in material processing behaviour (rheology) can mean re-design of the screw, e.g. change of compression ratio and mixer design required.

greater use of bio-degradable polymers such as PVOH in packaging and Bio-PP in tubing for agricultural and forestry applications. Natural fibre fillers such as starch, cellulose, soya and gelatin are being increasingly used due their renewable attributes and lower environmental impact. For example, some studies have found that wood fibre filler combined with recycled PVC stabilises the recycled material for up to 5-7 cycles and improvement in material strength up to 10-15 cycles.

But particle fillers such as glass-fibre, talc and calcium carbonate remain popular as these produce cheap composites with greater strength, stiffness, heat deflection and creep-resistance. In the plastics industry, glass-fibre additive can range from 15% to 50%, making processing much more challenging: not only creating greater wear on screws, barrels and machine components in contact with the material, the material itself tends to degrade quickly due to its higher viscosity and abrasive content.

For the operator, working with and controlling recycled material adds further challenges such as using differing temperatures, screw speed and adjustment required to pressure. Increased wear on machine parts creates additional running costs.

According to PMM (Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing), extruder OEMs such as Battenfeld-Cincinnati and Coperion have seen increasing demand for machines that process bioplastics and recycled material, hence re-design of the processing line to meet the challenges of contamination, degassing (venting), moisture and corrosion.

For example, specialised screen changers with large surface areas while co-rotating twin-screw extruders offer greater flexibility especially where sectional barrels are used as vented sections can be moved around or added. This is particularly the case for PET moisture must be controlled. Natural fibre fillers mentioned earlier can contain significant levels of moisture: starch-based biopolymers can contain up to 12 percent with cellulose and wood fibre up to 8 percent.

Despite best practice and quality control, recycled material can potentially cause problems such as the resin not fully melting or hard fragments causing wear or damage to screw flights and barrel bore. Regular monitoring is recommended so that problems can be addressed earlier if possible, before it becomes costly.

Bi-metallic hardened options along with specific alloy material for screws and barrels is recommended when processing with aggressive material. Magog Industries also can advise on coatings such as TDC (thin dense chrome), ceramic, tungsten carbide spray, (eg HVOF) being just some of the solutions available from Magog to assist all processors (compounding, extrusion, injection moulding and blow moulding) when processing with challenging material.

The push for the increased use of recycled plastics and use of bioplastics will continue to grow but technology also continues to develop: ‘de-manufacturing’ is an increasingly important element in product design and manufacture where components can be more effectively dismantled and sorted at end-of-life stage.

Mike Becker, area sales manager, Magog, looks at the current challenges for the plastics recycling ecosystem.

FILM AND SHEET EXTRUSION

FULLY CHARGED: intumescent PP makes extrusion a viable alternative to moulding

SABIC has introduced SABIC PP compound H1090 resin, as well as STAMAX 30YH611 resin, two new materials suited to sheet extrusion and thermoforming. The resins could mean that manufacturers have an alternative to sheet metal forming, compression and injection moulding, for large, complex structural parts.

These new products are 30 percent glass fibre-reinforced, intumescent, flame retardant (FR) materials, based on polypropylene (PP), and can be used for electric vehicle (EV) battery pack components such as top covers, enclosures and module separators. Both grades offer thermal barrier properties to help delay or contain thermal runaway propagation. Furthermore, SABIC claims that the extrusion and thermoforming of these materials offer design, system cost, inherent thermal and electrical insulation and weight advantages vs. stamped sheet metal. Compared to injection moulding of plastics and compression moulding for thermosets, both of which require expensive tooling, extrusion and thermoforming may offer a cheaper option.

The development and validation of the new materials is part of SABIC’s ‘Bluehero’ programme, an EV-oriented initiative with an aim to optimise structural battery components.

SABIC says its latest resins for extrusion could mean manufacturers can make large, complex parts (particularly in the automotive/EV sector) without having to mould or form. Dave Gray writes.

According to Abdullah AlOtaibi, general manager, ETP & Market Solutions, SABIC: “By providing new alternatives to traditional materials and processes, SABIC can enable customers to design and manufacture the next generation of battery components while driving down costs and gaining a competitive advantage. Our experts have helped pioneer the successful adaptation of glass fiber-reinforced materials for the extrusion and thermoforming of large, complex, structural parts. The development and validation of these novel resins showcase SABIC’s leadership in polymer technologies for vehicle electrification.”

The group validated the mechanical and fire safety performance and the manufacturability of SABIC PP compound H1090 resin and STAMAX 30YH611 resin in EV battery applications with complex geometries, both in its labs and with customers. These materials not only provide new options for the replacement of sheet metal or thermosets in final applications, they can also be used to create prototypes to determine the feasibility of investing in injection moulding tools.

Both short glass fiberreinforced SABIC PP compound H1090 resin and long glass fiber-reinforced STAMAX 30YH611 resin feature a combination of intumescence for fire safety and balanced stiffness and ductility. Exposing these materials to vertical and horizontal flames at 1200°C for 10 minutes demonstrates effective flame-retardant

behaviour. Efficient charring and intumescence keep the temperature of the reverse side of parts lower than 210°C and help prevent burnthrough. Intumescence is enhanced by non-brominated/ non-chlorinated FR that meets the UL94 V0 standard at 1.5 mm.

In addition to excellent stiffness, strength and impact resistance over a wide temperature range, key properties of SABIC PP compound H1090 resin and STAMAX 30YH611 resin include dimensional stability, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and good creep resistance. As the polymer matrix for both products, PP offers good electrical insulating properties, low density, global availability and good processability.

In addition to these products, SABIC offers injection and compression moldable flame retardant long- and shortglass PP materials – which are well suited for several internal components and complete enclosures of EV battery -packs.

Wherenextforpolymerprices?

Mike Boswell, MD, Plastribution (aka Polymerman) looks at the latest price changes in what remains a volatile market.

Let me start by saying that along with many others I was caught out by the dramatic price decreases that took place in the summer months, where for volume polymer types including PE, PP, PS, PET and PVC the scale of the reductions significantly exceeded the respective drop in feedstock costs.

So why did prices move so much?

Whilst at the superficial level this was simply a case of supply exceeding demand, but a more detailed examination provides insight into some extenuating circumstances. Starting with demand, the ‘Just in Case’ inventory strategy adopted as a result of supply shortages stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic has all but disappeared and in a market of plentiful supply and falling prices buyers have reverted to ‘Just in Time’ on the basis that this makes economic sense both in terms of profitability and less (now more expensive) cash tied up in inventory. It should be noted that this change in purchasing strategy is impacting entire supply chains, with a ‘bull whip effect’ applying to those further up the supply chain such as polymer suppliers. This destocking has for many polymers coincided with an increase in polymerisation capacity for many high-volume polymers and in particular PE, furthermore much of this additional capacity originates in the USA where shale gas provides low-cost feedstocks, the price of which has recently fallen based upon a supply glut. A further factor illustrated in the graph is the significant discount for European spot propylene and ethylene feedstocks versus the contract price; inevitably the producers able to take advantage of these discounts use these economics to set the benchmark prices in the market (leaving those with contract prices facing a significant handicap).

How might the market evolve?

In the Covid-19 pandemic, supply crisis prices moved upward in unison reaching the highest levels immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, it is likely that polymer prices may follow somewhat different trajectories going forward with supply and demand determining price, not only at a generic level but also at type level and possibly by application. Examples could include:

Significant divergence of PE and PP pricing, due to a continuing glut of US PE with low feedstock economics, compared to a tighter PP market where the potential of limited European feedstock and a more self-contained market enable producers to better balance supply and demand.

LDPE and LLDPE prices coinciding; historically LDPE supply and demand has been better balanced and there is a cost premium to produce LDPE. However, LDPE demand is

Who is ‘Polymerman’?

in decline with polymer converters favouring the higher performance of LLDPE and especially the metallocene variants which, for a large part, are becoming more competitively priced.

The increased displacement of polymer production from Europe to other regions will likely result in a bigger price differential for lower volume more specialist grades; an example of which could be higher premiums on LLDPE injection moulding grades over film grades.

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

“It should be noted that this change in purchasing strategy is impacting entire supply chains, with a ‘bull whip effect’ applying to those further up the supply chain such as polymer suppliers. This destocking has for many polymers coincided with an increase in polymerisation capacity”

MASTERBATCH & ADDITIVES

Improving sustainability WITH ADDITIVE MASTERBATCH

The business has developed and expanded over recent years but still holds its core values of ‘Providing Solutions…Adding Value’ to its customer base by continuing to develop tailor made solutions and technically advanced masterbatches and compounds for the polymer industry. Wells now employees over 60 people and has a capacity in excess of 12kT and serves the global polymer marketplace with products being exported all around the world.

The concept of ‘Providing Solutions…Adding Value’ to customers through innovation and technical excellence extends now to include sustainability. Sustainability and plastics can sound counter-intuitive to those outside of the industry but nothing could be farther from the truth.

Wells has a rich history of supplying the recycling industry with a range of products to help widen the processing window of recycled feedstocks for film extruders and moulders, supplying high performance additive masterbatches which allow down gauging and light-weighting of materials.

Wells Plastics, a specialist additive masterbatch producer and compounder, established in 1984 and based in Stone, Staffordshire is delighted to be exhibiting for the first time at Interplas 2023 in Hall 4, stand A33. Carl Birch, Sales and Marketing Director at Wells, explains why visitors hoping to improve their product sustainability should pay the stand a visit.

Sustainability is therefore a concept to be embraced.

Wells recognised, that in line with both the UK & European Plastics Strategies, the need for greater recyclability of standard polymers, and the need for these materials to be re-used into evermore demanding applications. It was essential that high

performance antioxidant systems were developed to allow formulators, processors, product designers and material specifiers to be able to demand higher physical performances from recycled feedstocks. In addition to its extensive range of antioxidant masterbatches Wells has developed a range of high performance masterbatches

for polyolefinic systems which provide significantly improved thermal stability, resulting in a performance similar to that of virgin polymers such as AO95743 for recycled LDPE.

Desiccant masterbatches, sometimes referred to moisture scavengers, have been manufactured by Wells for a number of years, and whilst seen by many as a lowcost commodity material, the reality is not all desiccants are the same. Desiccants are materials that will attract and chemically bind moisture and can offer a simple and economical way to eliminate moisture problems in plastics processing that can otherwise cause unattractive surface defects. Problems solved include lensing, voiding, and splash marks in the finished product, reducing the need for pre-drying of materials, allowing processors to use recyclate with high moisture content and extend the control of processing moisture sensitive polymers. The mechanism of action is well documented, but critically, in particular for film producers the particle size and dispersion of the additive is of utmost importance. Wells offers a high performance desiccant masterbatch minimising filter blocking and film tears from large particles, something often reported by users of lower cost desiccants.

The use of blowing agent masterbatches have long been used to help with ‘light weighting’ of large items, or to help fill the mould and remove unwanted sink marks, however some of the lesser-known benefits include reduction in cycle time, a

reduction in energy can all be achieved, generally, without compromise on aesthetics. Wells produces and supplies a wide range of both endothermic and exothermic blowing agent masterbatches.

In addition to these solutions, Wells also provides a bespoke contract and toll compounding service to the global polymer industry, from a few hundred kilos to thousands of tonnes. Wells are capable of dispersing and encapsulating a wide range of active powders, pellets, prills, flakes, waxes, low melting point liquids through to ultra viscous materials into a variety of polymer bases from polyolefins, through to biobased and biopolymer systems.

MASTERBATCH & ADDITIVES

Beyond the material selection and formulation optimisation there is of course the impact Wells operation has on the wider environment. Wells started its own sustainability journey by training a team of internal auditors who developed an Environmental Management System, with the associated policies, regular monitoring and reporting of environmental KPIs, resulting in Wells achieving ISO 14001 accreditation.

Building on this Wells expanded its sustainability credentials to include not only environmental impact but a fully holistic approach to include labour, human rights, ethics and supply chain, which resulted in Wells achieving EcoVadis Gold

status, putting the company in the 96th percentile of all registrants.

Wells has worked closely with Staffordshire Business & Environment Network (SBEN) and became their case study for their Environmental Sustainability GROWTHmapper. Identifying and implementing projects saved over 33 tonnes of carbon emissions per year in the process and also being awarded a Carbon Literacy certification. To help develop the culture to implement such initiatives, all staff at Wells, regardless of entry level or role, now receive Environmental Awareness training as standard and are financially incentivised to reduce waste of any kind.

“Some of the lesser-known benefits include reduction in cycle time, a reduction in energy can all be achieved, generally, without compromise on aesthetics”

CASE STUDY:

Boddingtons chooses Intouch MES for efficiency

The moulder has reported significant efficiency improvements – here’s how it happened…

Based in Tonbridge, UK, Boddingtons have two facilities, housing a total of 39 machines. One of the facilities is designed for its technical injection moulding and assembly department, while the newer, second facility is for medical and clean products. The facility houses a class 7 cleanroom with 17 moulding machines ranging from 50t to 180t and a white room with machines ranging from 50t to 160t.

Boddingtons Plastics previously monitored rejects, downtime and output using a manual process and a spreadsheet system, which meant that the data collected was always historic. This provided limitations in their ability to react, often providing an inaccurate picture and took hours to process. This lack of real-time visibility justified the business case for an MES system.

They investigated other systems in the market that could deliver against their primary objectives. Due to the nature of traditional hardwired systems, the capital outlay costs were too high, which meant that the cloud based Intouch production monitoring system was a perfect fit for them.

Wayne Allen, operations manager at Boddingtons said: “Having worked with Intouch at a previous company, I could see the benefits of an MES system and what improvements and opportunities it could bring to Boddingtons”.

Since implementation back in 2019, the group has managed to make incredible improvements to their site’s

OEE and utilisation, as well as saving time, improving data accuracy and increasing visibility.

The challenge: a lack of accurate data to help pinpoint inefficiencies

Boddingtons Plastics were seeking to collect fast and accurate production data so they could understand what processes were not performing to the levels they wanted to achieve. This would enable them to assign the right resources to

understand the route cause to machine performance and put a corrective measure in place. At the time of evaluating their options, they had just completed building a purpose-built factory housing a class 7 cleanroom for manufacturing its medical products. this meant that they needed a system to help them overcome the issues of manufacturing over multiple sites, bringing all production data to one central system, which could be accessed remotely.

Wayne added “We knew Intouch was the right partner for us due to previous relationships, excellent UK support and their intuitive software”.

Wayne Allen, Operations

ciency gains

The approach

When Boddingtons Plastics approached Intouch in 2019, they were spending many hours manually sorting through production data, which quickly became out of date.

They initially installed the system onto a few machines but did not install interfaces at the machines, so staff were unaware that there was an MES system in place. On one manual job alone, the OEE was at 68%, once the interface was installed and the staff were aware of the system, they instantly improved by 5% OEE. This was more than enough to justify the monthly subscription straight away.

The team would spend many hours calculating their OEE from various spreadsheets of production data, but the senior team could never be 100% sure that the figures were accurate.

The solution

Manager at Boddingtons

Plastics commended intouch for the straightforward implementation process and praised Lucy Hardwick for her support during the onboarding process. As a result, they managed to get the system up and running in one factory within a week.

Wayne also highlights how the intouch system is intuitive and easy to use, thanks to the online training videos which are easily accessible and can be used by new staff. The access to learning and training, along with a knowledgeable onboarding and support team at intouch facilitated a very speedy process to be up and running and benefiting from the system in one week.

Since implementing intouch, Boddingtons have reported positive feedback from several departments within the business.

Wayne explains “The biggest improvement is the quick, real-time data. We use intouch to calculate our KPIs but more importantly to better understand which processes have poor OEE and why. With this, we can make improvements to the process”.

Shop-floor level operators and setters use the system daily to enter downtime, scrap and manage tool changes, which saves them a lot of time.

“Our customer service team and production planners also have access so they can instantly see if a machine is running and if the order is due to complete on time”.

The maintenance and production support teams

also have access to run downtime reports on machines or processes. The logistics team leader also uses this data to know which machines are running and the orders that are ending, so he can prepare and issue materials to the machines ahead of time in the correct order.

“Being able to access the system anywhere on a mobile device and running reports gives me instant data so I can make informative decisions based on the data.

The results

Boddingtons Plastics faced challenges with manual data collection, lack of accurate data, and resistance from staff when implementing an MES system. However, after implementing the cloud based Intouch production monitoring system, they were able to make incredible improvements to their site’s OEE and utilisation, save time, improve data accuracy, and increase visibility.

They were able to integrate their ERP system, deliver

orders on time, and achieve a 39% improvement in OEE over 2 years. The approach of starting with a few machines and gradually expanding, as well as addressing initial concerns from staff, proved successful in achieving a positive ROI and payback.

Boddingtons Plastics has benefited from the intuitive and easy-to-use Intouch system, gaining instant visual management and real-time production data, which has helped them streamline their operations and improve overall efficiency.

The future

Moving forward, Wayne has plans to further invest in the Intouch system by implementing the new energy monitoring module across all machines so that the business can collect further data which can help them make additional cost savings and better-informed decisions. This project is scheduled for Q2, 2023, with the hope of being operational by the end of summer, as we move into another winter where energy costs are naturally a greater concern.

“

The biggest improvement is the quick, real-time data. We use intouch to calculate our KPIs but more importantly to better understand which processes have poor OEE and why. With this, we can make improvements to the process”

Young designers impress at Design Innovation in Plastics Awards

The six finalists had the opportunity to fine tune each product at a workshop run by injection moulding machine maker, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK, and given the fact that nearly all of the finalists had limited experience with plastics it not only helped innovate the products, but also helped the finalists gain key skills and industry experience.

When talking about using plastics, winner of the competition with ‘the Flossie’, Chris Kenny of Dublin TU told BP&R: “Each material has its own challenges, working with plastics was something I hadn’t done before so it was like learning from scratch about the manufacturing processes but once you get your head around it, it really gives you a new perspective.”

The Flossie was inspired by the idea that everyone should be able to floss, something that had become incredibly important to Chris due to his brother’s disability, cerebral palsy. He said: “The idea came from seeing my brother

The Design Innovation in Plastics Awards 2023 showcased some of the best and brightest young designers in the country, with this year’s focus on bathroom and kitchen products. Danny Ball attended and met with the finalists.

who doesn’t have dexterity or mobility required for flossing, so I set out on a mission to help him. The device allows the user to have more control when flossing.”

In terms of the design challenges of the product, Kenny said: “Each new prototype is a new problem that gets unveiled, having to come up with those solutions is quite challenging but also incredibly gratifying.” For winning, Kenny took home a cash prize of £1,000, plus a placement or course with a DIP sponsor, a year’s membership of IOM3 and an invitation to the Lord Mayor’s Banquet as a guest of the Worshipful Company of Horners.

Chairman of the judging panel, Richard Brown commented on the Flossie: “This is a great product which is inspired by a real life challenge. We were impressed not just by the clever design, but by the user testing carried out by Chris, to show how it can help people with lifelong conditions that affect movement and coordination. He also gave us a detailed analysis of manufacturing ideas and costs, as well as considering its marketing.”

Second place in the awards went to Kyle Farquhar of Edinburgh Napier University, who designed the “Platemate”. He told BP&R: “My product is to help get

kids more involved in the kitchen. The idea is to teach them how to prepare different foods from around the world. This one is for Mexican food - fajitas, burritos and tacos. You can fold up the paddle in various orders to help to get to the design outcome.”

When talking about the design challenges, Kyle said: “A lot of it was about design challenges, finding the right materials to use, the ones that had the proper properties that I was looking for. In the end I settled on polypropylene which had everything I was looking for. Another challenge was making it look more interesting, the original one was a plain blue circle and a lot of kids when I was testing found that really boring, so it was about finding the right design that was a balance between functional and exciting.

When talking about using plastics, Farquhar said: “It’s something I haven’t really done before. I had usually worked with wood or metal so it quite challenging at times. It was also really interesting and something that I would look to use more in the future.

Kenny said the competition has helped him moving forward: “This whole experience is interesting, it’s a good opportunity to get in to meet people, to get in to do different presentations, something that you might not always get to do at university. Kyle took home a cash prize of £750 and a placement.

Third place went to an interesting design by Scott Rutherford of Edinburgh Napier University whose rotary bottle opener ‘converts downward force into Torque’. Rutherford said: “the product was designed for people with limited dexterity, grip issues and conditions in their hands.

Scott Rutherford with his Rotary Bottle Opener

Chris Kenny with Flossie

Kyle Farquhar with PlateMate

I myself have a fused wrist so that’s where the idea came from for this product. It takes 100 Newtons to open a bottle cap which is a lot of force. There is a gripper mechanism in the bottom that self-grips, once a bottle is gripped the only thing you are required to do is push downwards.”

He added: “The biggest design challenge was that the initial model wasn’t breaking the seals on lids so in order to break that seal you had to generate quite a lot of force. While plastic did provide its challenges, through 3D printing I was able to physically see everything and test it out. There’s roughly 30 iterations of the product. There were challenges but also solutions.”

Rutherford has serious confidence in the product and is keen to take it forward, even going as far as filing patents. He said: “From here I’m hoping to find someone to invest in it, whether that’s financially or someone to give me some advice.”

Highly Commended awards

Missing out on the top spots were the following two designs:

Freddy Blake, Bournemouth University, with ‘Bubble Buddy‘, a bathroom soap dispenser and hand wash device in one package, which makes hand washing more fun for children. Blake said: “Designing for manufacture was quite tricky. Because it is a spherical shape, It is quite hard to make in a mould, blow moulding could be less accurate while injection moulding could be incredibly expensive.”

Despite the challenges, Freddy was clearly incredibly happy about the nomination, he added: “It shows that my hard work is going towards something (good). It is nice to

meet people in industry and gain lots of useful information and just meeting people that I wouldn’t have met at uni.”

Teresa Zheng, Loughborough University, with ‘Sianel‘, a portable shelf which enables people to change their colostomy bags more easily. Unfortunately, Teresa wasn’t available for Interview at this time as she was travelling home to see family.

Robin Jones Award

A sixth student, James Forrest-Smith, has received the inaugural Robin Jones Award. Robin was a key member of the DIP committee who sadly died last year. A tutor at London South Bank University, he passionately shared his presentation expertise to the finalists to help them showcase their products in the best possible way. This award aims to recognise both the skill in achieving this as well as the quality of the design.

James, from Northumbria University, created ‘STEPA‘, a fully adjustable stool for children to use in the kitchen, encouraging them to get involved in kitchen activities.

Forrest-Smith told BP&R: The main challenge of the product was the design for manufacture, blow moulding wasn’t something I had done a lot of before, so I had to explore that quite heavily, price point was also quite difficult to decide. Plastics is something I had used

before a little bit in previous university projects but it’s something I will definitely use again in the future.”

Smith added: “Meeting everyone here has been brilliant. It is really good getting feedback for your designs. Getting the recognition, I guess? It’s brilliant. We got given the opportunity to (Sumitomo) Demag too for an injection moulding course and that was really useful, it is something I haven’t done much of at university.

Teresa Zheng's Sianel

Freddy Blake with Bubble Buddy

James Forrest Smith with STEPA

Net zero the key to attracting future skilled engineers

Published by Cogent

Skills, the report – A greenprint on skills for the low-carbon industries – reveals the extent of the talent and skills challenge for the polymers industry, with the biggest fall (70 percent) in new apprenticeships among established industries since 2015-16.

Data suggests the prevalence of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the polymers sector –which are less likely to pay the Apprenticeship Levy – means they have seen a greater drop in apprenticeship starts.

Yet there is an ongoing need for

highly-skilled, graduatelevel staff to support advanced research and development alongside operations and maintenance teams running production facilities – plus the move to develop renewable polymers and increase innovation in the circular economy.

The report highlights how new skills will be crucial as companies in the polymers industry transition to developing natural and biodegradable polymers and biobased plastics, while investing in recycling technologies. In addition, the sector is exploring cleaner energy sources

Responding to the announcement of a one year delay to the roll-out of EPR, OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label) cautions businesses not to rest on their laurels. Margaret Bates, Managing Director at OPRL, said: “The delay offers an opportunity for those ready to use the time constructively. Those which prepare now will benefit from lower fee costs and show a strong brand response.

“EPR is designed to drive recyclability and all the associated benefits. It is spreading across the globe and will affect large businesses across their portfolio. For the UK it is important to recognise it as direction of travel, rather than a stand-alone piece of legislation. Recent OPRL research

showed that, despite the cost of living crisis, consumers are behind recycling – 81% agreed that recycling is very important. With or without EPR, consumers are likely to call for greater recyclability.”

In the consumer survey, the environment was the number one prompted

and carbon capture utilisation and storage to help minimise its carbon footprint.

The way companies transition – either by modifying existing products or expanding their operations to include low carbon technologies – will affect skills demands: while the former requires some adjustments in quality control to meet different standards – such as using advanced polymers for fuel cell electrolytes – introducing new activities will require greater upskilling and retraining.

the skills requirement and develop a

strategy to deliver the talent needed for green transition and growth. And this includes creating diverse apprenticeship standards that will reflect today’s technologies and industry needs.

“Unless industry can access the next generation of talent –including engineers, scientists, technicians and operators – any plan for a just transition will fall short. That means harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of younger people

OPRL ADVISES BUSINESSES TO SPEND TIME WISELY TO AVOID UNNECESSARY EPR COSTS

to tackle the climate crisis by showing how science and technology is a route to making meaningful change, as well as a rewarding career. And this includes creating diverse apprenticeship standards that will reflect today’s technologies and industry needs.”

Among a range of actions, Cogent Skills will be conducting research and mapping courses currently available to upskill and reskill the existing workforce.

motivation behind recycling. This has significantly increased as a prompted reason since 2021, as consumers become more committed to recycling for the planet, rather than to feel good.

Under EPR, every single piece of packaging must be labelled to show whether or not it can be recycled. OPRL – which manages the only label currently compliant with EPR rules – advises businesses to begin as soon as possible to ensure that packaging is recyclable and that it has the correct label on. Bates said: “Businesses need to assess whether packaging items are recyclable and arrange new labelling. For some, this will be a significant task, so it is crucial that work starts well before the deadline.”

The perception that the polymer industry is not central to achieving net zero targets will affect companies’ ability to recruit skilled staff, according to a new report.

David Raine

PMMDA Chairman Dave Raine reflects on a challenging economic outlook –but, what goes down, must surely come back up.

Hard times – but all things change

It will not, I’m sure, have slipped anyone’s attention that the current business climate continues to look worryingly uncertain. Despite welcome reductions in energy prices, eurozone business activity shrank much more than expected in July as demand in the region’s services industry declined, and factory output fell at the fastest pace since COVID19 first took hold.

The decline was broad-based with Europe’s two biggest economies - Germany and France – showing signs of contraction. Indications are that the European Central Bank’s sustained campaign of interest rate rises is starting to take its toll on consumers and affecting the services sector too.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the euro area, seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, dropped below 50% for the first time this year, showing contraction rather than growthlower than all expectations.

Activity in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, contracted in July, increasing the likelihood of a recession in the second half of 2023, and in France, the downturn extended into July as both the services and manufacturing sectors did worse than expected.

Here in the UK, the economy is growing at its weakest pace in six months as orders for

businesses stagnate in the face of rising interest rates and still-high inflation. The decline has manifested itself despite manufacturers running down backlogs of work and cutting prices. Factories benefited from a sharp drop in input costs due to falling demand for materials and improved supply.

Sadly, no amount of optimism or bluff will hide or mask these issues, and consumers and manufacturers continue to face difficult and uncertain times, but having been in the industry for many years, I may be able to offer some optimism, albeit small and easily written rather than experienced.

The rapid reduction in manufacturing within the plastics sector experienced at the end of the last century (how strange that sounds given its within most of our lifetimes), when offshoring decimated the industry, and then going through it all again in 2008/09 during the financial crisis of that period, produced, in both cases, a return to ‘normal’, with the rebound catching some

of us off guard with its strength and speed – my fervent hope is that this will be the case again.

The UK plastics industry has some of the very best technology and individuals anywhere on the planet, and our ability to embrace new technologies and processes is second to none in my opinion. Several sectors of the manufacturing industry are still reporting that projects are “delayed not cancelled”, as end customers and suppliers endeavour to ride out the storm and manage the continually changing, complex situation –at some point, we will have to return to investment, but as in previous times, this will almost certainly have a very different look and feel to it.

“Having been in the industry for many years, I may be able to offer some optimism, albeit small and easily written rather than experienced.

”

Philip Law

The BPF’s director-general Philip Law on the federation’s annual meeting with the Band of England teaching volunteer Ambassadors how to engage with local schools, teachers and parents, both directly and through careers fairs. This included practising a pitch to teachers and careers officers on why the ambassadors want to go into a school to speak to pupils about plastics and careers in the industry. The training was carried out by Rachel Brickell from Cogent Skills. There were seven enthusiastic volunteers from Reagens, Broanmain, JSC Rotational, Berry Global, Bamberger Polymers, Owen Mumford and the BPF itself. All attendees are now Career ambassadors, Cogent SIP ambassadors and STEM ambassadors. For further information on this please contact my colleague Mary Aiken-Wood on maikenwood.bpf.co.uk.

A canary in a coalmine

For many years the BPF has held an annual meeting of its Council with Bank of England representatives in the Bank itself. The Bank really values the industry’s insights as we feed into so many markets and we can act as a very sensitive early warning system, a canary in a coalmine. Our input is important in informing the Bank’s quarterly Inflation Report. This year’s meeting took place on July 12th, in the aftermath of the latest interest rate hike. We presented the results of the latest BPF’s Business Conditions Survey, hot off the press. Our members were quick to point to the decline in sales volumes, both in the UK and in overseas markets, the impact of cost of living and labour shortages on wages and the fears of further energy price increases as winter approaches. There was some improvement in the number of respondents ‘investing significantly’ since the two preceding surveys, and although the facility has only been available for the last few months, some 42% of respondents had taken advantage of the ‘Capital Allowances: Full Expensing Scheme’ to buy or help to sell machinery.

Increasing the flow of engineers into the industry is an essential objective for its future development. This is why BPF is putting some emphasis behind its Career Ambassadors programme. We arranged a special training session at the end of June,

We have also elected a new Chair for our BPF Education and Skills Committee. This is Jo Davis, the Managing Director of Dorking-based Broanmain Plastics. She takes over Gillian Doughy formerly of Berry Global who has been an excellent Chair for several years. Jo is a staunch advocate of sharing best practice to address shortfalls. As she said ‘’ Culturally the plastics industry is quick to adapt. The pandemic was testament to this. Yet the recruitment and retention pain points foe employers remain evident to all. Solving the skills shortages requires collaboration from across the entire industry stakeholder group’’. She is keen to foster continuous learning and upskilling adding ‘’This can include recruiting from non- traditional labour pools,

for example military engineers as well as prioritising existing personnel with transferable new skills to support career progression’’.

BPF was successful in having its voice heard and correcting a misconceived article on PVC in the Engineering and Technology Magazine June 2023 edition which called for the banning of PVC based on the highprofile accidental spillage of VCM during a train derailment in Ohio. We managed to get a substantial corrective printed in the magazine as a ‘Letter to the Editor’. This enabled us to make points about the respective roles of hazard and risk, how VCM is regulated, and the degree of exposure required to cause some of the effects claimed. We expanded on the benefits of PVC in construction and medical products and the impressive recycling levels now being achieved.

As I write, crucial legislation now hangs in the balance and may even be stopped in its tracks. Deposit Return Schemes and Extended Producer Responsibility have marched like misguided soldiers, two steps forward and three steps back and with little sense of direction. Maybe someone has twigged the inflationary impacts of all this or maybe it’s a serious acknowledgement that government has moved into an area it doesn’t fully understand and the troops have been called to a halt before they fall into the abyss. Some clarity is expected very soon.

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