Extrusion International USA 6-2021

20 Extrusion International 6/2021 INDUSTRY NEWS „ OnSeptember 22, 2021, TOMRARecyclingof fi ciallyopened its new fl ake sorting Test Center, where the company will develop new applications and solutions in the fi elds of PO and PET fl ake sorting while simultaneously expanding its service offering. Under the theme of “Testing is believing,” TOMRA representa- tives welcomed approximately 100 participants to its exclusive opening event and guided tour of the new fl ake sorting facility, New Flake Sorting Test Center in Italy Targi Kielce S.A. www.targikielce.pl/en/plastpol „ Almost 6000 visitors, 300 exhibitors from 22 countries and over 4,000 m2 of exhibition space – this year’s PLASTPOL’s facts and fi gures are astounding. Last year’s PLASTPOL was held on a very moderate scale. Yet Targi Kielce was surprised by the positive reception among the exhibitors. Their feedbackmentioned that only serious business- focussed visitors came to the expo; they all had speci fi c offers. Anna Kozera-Sza ł kowska, Managing Director of the PlasticsEu- rope Polska Foundation, emphasised, that – the pandemic has not changed leading Europe’s and global priorities, including the most important one – preventing climate change. This is to be aided by a zero-emission economy and the introduction of a circular economy in raw materials. The legislative agenda has remained tense over the past several months. The New Circular Economy Action Plan announced at the beginning of last year has additionally strengthened some aspects related to environ- mental protection. This includes the plastics business. According to the PlasticsEurope Polska Foundation’s report, the plastics industry in Poland has shown resilience in pandemic times. In 2020, employment was maintained, the demand for plastics has increased to an estimated 3.7 million tonnes. The available data on the industry’s standing in 2021 indicate a con- tinuation of the dynamic growth which had started in Q4 2020. Despite the problems with the availability of plastics, which re- fl ects the global situation, the rubber and plastics manufactur- ing sector shows marked increases in sold-production rate com- pared to the pre-pandemic period. This suggests that 2021 will PLASTPOL – The Plastics Industry Keeps Going from Strength to Strength be no worse for Poland’s plastics industry than last year. The full report is now available on the PlasticsEurope Polska website. The Waste Management and Recycling Cluster organised a conference open for all, which featured the experts talking on plastics and innovations to close the circulation-loop of rawma- terials. Upon themeetingopening, Professor JoannaKulczyckaof AGH University of Technology, the President of the Waste Manage- ment and Recycling Cluster, emphasised that entrepreneurs and local governments face many challenges related to waste management and closed-loop economy. At the same time, the President pointedout that there is still noappropriatedivisionof competencies and general-public knowledge of what a circular economy is. The circular economy is one of the components of the Green Deal. The solutions proposed by the European Commission are WIN-WIN solutions, says the President of the Waste Manage- ment and Recycling Cluster. Therefore, economically viable solutions that would at the same time reduce the so-called resource intensity are in great de- mand. Consumption of rawmaterials accounts for over 50% of the impact on climate change; mainly, the change is attributable to coal, oil, cement, chemical raw materials, iron and steel ores, milk and animal husbandry – says Joanna Kulczycka of AGH University. Over 70% of this impact is food consumption, heat- ing and private transport. The Green Deal in circular economy assumes business models creation which links the waste generator and the recycler in order to close the cycle. A collaborative economic symbiosis is an essential aspect, with plastics as a priority for the European Commission. The second day of the expo witnessed the Plastech-INFO open technical seminar: “Plastics processing technologies as a driv- ing force for industry development” – the session was crafted around the industry’s needs for promotion and knowledge dis- semination. The next Plastpol will be held onMay 24-27, 2022.