Extrusion International USA 2-2020

30 Extrusion International 2/2020 EXTRUSION INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS Partnership with the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) Amcor has joined HPRC, a coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management, seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. Amcor will support the coalition with extensive expertise in packaging design for medical devices and applications in hospitals and other treatment settings. The industry group aims to address all dimensions of the packaging value chain, from packaging design to collection systems and end mar- kets. There is tremendous potential for recycling medical device packaging. However, the nature of current medical packag- ing materials and the practical considerations of recycling segregation systems in busy healthcare environments will require a new approach. As sustainability requirements for packaging increase, there is an opportunity for the health- care industry to work collaboratively to make the most of this valuable waste stream, while continuing to ensure product protection and patient safety. In January 2018, Amcor became the first global packaging company pledging to develop all its packaging to be recy- clable or reusable by 2025. Close collaboration with organi- zations like HPRC, as well as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and A Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX), helps to achieve that goal and increase the rates of recycling across all industries to advance a circular economy. Amcor Flexibles EMEA www.amcor.com HPRC www.hprc.org New Executive Leadership Roles announced The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) announced three new executive appointments – Glenn Anderson, vice president, industry relations and member engagement as of April 6; Matt Seaholm, vice president of government affairs; and Brendan Thomas, vice president of advocacy and voice. Both Seaholm’s and Thomas’ roles took effect on April 15. PLASTICS supports the entire supply chain, advancing sus- tainability, providing education programs to the industry and public and supporting technology-driven innovations. As the vice president of industry relations and member en- gagement, Anderson’s role will focus on leading the de- velopment and growth of PLASTICS’ strategic plan. He will oversee PLASTICS’ councils in addition to the sustainability, membership and events teams. With more than 36 years in the plastics industry, Anderson also led the Equipment Coun- cil and was officer-at-large for PLASTICS Board of Directors. He also served as the chairman of NPE2018. Seaholm, who previously served as the executive director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance (ARPBA), a self-funded group of PLASTICS, now joins PLASTICS as the vice president of government affairs. Prior to joining ARPBA, Seaholm was a vice president of public affairs for Edelman, one of the largest communications marketing firms in the world. As vice president of advocacy and voice, Thomas will over- see the communications and marketing departments while working closely with the PLASTICS government affairs oper- ation. Since 2014, Thomas has been a communications direc- tor for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, direct- ing online marketing, internal and external communications, and public relations. “The insight and experience of our new vice presidents will be extremely valuable. These appointments will help us continue to thrive and grow our initiatives to build an even stronger association,” said PLASTICS President and CEO Tony Radoszewski, CAE. The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), formerly SPI, plasticsindustry.org