Extrusion International USA 2-2021

28 Extrusion International 2/2021 EXTRUSION INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS Technical ProgramChair for the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) „ Davis-Standard announced that Rich Kanarski has been elected to serve as a Technical Program Chair for the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), Extrusion Division. In 2014, Kanar- ski was recommended by a mentor to serve on the SPE Board of Directors as a young professional, several years later being elected to serve on the Board in a traditional governing role. In addition to presiding over technical programs, he also serves as the division’s Membership Chair. His SPE responsibilities coincide well with his leadership position at Davis-Standard where he manages the company’s converting system techni- cal product team. “I am honored to serve as the Technical Program Chair. My fellow board members are incredible people who consis- Davis-Standard, LLC www.davis-standard.com tently inspire members to challenge themselves personally and professionally,” explained Kanarski. “We have a com- mon commitment to the betterment of our industry, which is a fundamental value within SPE. Sharing knowledge and strengthening skills is a collaborative effort among our pro- fessionals worldwide.” In his TPC role, Kanarski will support technical conferences, in- cluding ANTEC ® 2021 to be held via live-stream beginning May 5. ANTEC is a top priority for Kanarski as it one of SPE’s largest technical conferences. As a TPC, with the support of the techni- cal paper review committee, is responsible to review and orga- nize all the technical content submitted by the extrusion division members who wish to voice and present their developments to their peers, compiling it into an effective program for ANTEC. ANTECoffers a platformformembers and students to share and discuss the latest developments in plastic processing and poly- mer science. A key experience of ANTEC, is the presentation of technical papers that highlight timely subjects and processing expertise within all areas of the plastics industry. SPE is at the forefront of advancing extrusion innovation and best practices within the global plastics industry. The organi- zation represents more than 22,500 members from 84 coun- tries, connecting scientists, engineers, technical personnel and senior executives. Rich Kanarski Cyclic Ole fi n Copolymer (COC) Earns APR Recognition for Recyclability with HDPE „ The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has granted Critical Guidance Recognition to Polyplastics USA for high-gloss HDPE containerswith20%cyclicolefin copolymer (TOPAS ® 8007F-600) outer layer. The APR recognition demonstrates that Polyplastics’ TOPAS COC is compatible with the HDPE recycle stream. To meet the packaging industry’s demands for a circular econ- omy, Polyplastics is aggressively developing necessary data to support industry-wide sustainability efforts. This will allow com- panies to confidently use COC to enhance the performance of recyclable products. TheAPR’s Critical Guidance Recognition fol- lows TOPAS COC’s certification last year as a recyclable material by the European independent testing lab, Institut cyclos-HTP. In Europe, TOPAS materials are the first cyclic olefin resins in the industry to be deemed recyclable with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) for film and injectionmolding uses. The APR is an international trade association representing the plastics recycling industry, and has taken the lead in setting stan- dards for plastics recyclability at U.S. recyclers. “This APR recognition for COC is an important development for brand owners, manufacturers, and processors who seek re- TOPAS Advanced Polymers https://topas.com The Association of Plastic Recyclers www.plasticsrecycling.org cycled packaging solutions to meet today’s broad sustainability needs,” said Paul Tatarka, market development manager for Polyplastics USA. “We are now able to offer important evidence that COC can be used and recycled in HDPE in rigid blow mold- ing applications.” Blow molded HDPE containers with 20% COC outer layer pres- ent a very challenging test condition. This package satisfies the strictest APR Critical Guidance criteria of procedure HDPE-CG-01 and of the APR’s bottle-to-bottle test protocol. These APR pro- tocols are intended to improve the quality of the recycled bottle stream by helping companies make informed decisions about the consequences of packaging solutions. Polyplastics is working actively with current customers to devel- op extrusion blow molded (EBM) rigid containers for personal care applications. The company will also work with APR tomeet its Critical Guidance for the use of COC in flexible film recycling streams.