With the circular economy proving an increasingly important topic for the FR supply chain, just what is the industry doing to face the global challenge of sustainability? A driver for development in the plastics industry as a whole, industry presentations at the Fire Resistance in Plastics Virtual Summit will show flame retardants have a role to play in this international consumer trend.

Ahead of their presentations on 23 – 25 February, we were delighted to interview three of our expert speakers who will each share their take on the challenges involved in achieving sustainability.

Marc Leifer, Global Technical Marketing Support Manager, ICL-IP

Marc has held the position of Global TMS Manager at ICL-IP FR SBU since 2011, with over 30 years' experience in the field of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers' formulation, transformation processes, analysis and properties assessment.

Together with Lein Tange, Sustainability Director at ICL-Europe, Marc will present on how plastics with FRs can form part of a circular economy, with a look at some of the technical and economic challenges involved.

Read the full interview here

Adrian Beard, Chairman (Europe), PINFA

Adrian is a senior expert in fire safety and environmental properties of phosphorus-based flame retardants. Since 2017, he has chaired the association for non-halogenated phosphorus, inorganic and nitrogen flame retardants (pinfa), a sector group of Cefic.

His presentation will offer a second industry perspective on the sustainability of flame retardants and the challenges they will face in the coming decade.

Read the full interview here

Kevin Bradley, Secretary General, BSEF

Kevin is currently Secretary General of BSEF, the International Bromine Council who support and promote the role of bromine and bromine technologies as enablers for society and economy globally.

He will be sharing the outcomes and implications of the SOFIES study for polymer producers and the FR industry in terms of the circular economy and the push for sustainable FRs.

Read the full interview here

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About the Fire Resistance in Plastics Virtual Summit

This fully online event will replace the live conference which was unable to take place as scheduled in December 2020. The summit runs with the support of Headline Sponsor ICL-IP, Gold Sponsors Clariant Plastics & Coatings GmbH, Funzionano AS and PINFA, and Silver Sponsor Thor GmbH and Georg H. Luh.

Click here find out more

AMI, Bristol, 05/01/21 – A new report from AMI Consulting published in December 2020 quantifies and analyses the global palletisation films market and examines the most recent industry dynamics.

In the last thirty years palletisation films have been one of the success stories of the global plastics and packaging industry. Strong demand from a wide range of customer industries, combined with a real competitive advantage against other forms of pallet stabilisation, has resulted in sustained growth in the developed, more mature markets and accelerating growth in other regions.

The 2020 edition of AMI’s Palletisation Films – The global market report is the result of an extensive research programme, providing a detailed independent assessment of this industry in times of uncertainty as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report quantifies demand and production of pallet stretch wrap, shrink hoods and stretch hoods in each world region with a five-year forecast. It examines polymer demand and inter-material competition as well as the industry structure and latest developments of major global palletisation film producers.

The market has matured in Western Europe and North America (USA in particular), resulting in lower growth rates and a strong focus on customised technical innovation. Higher growth rates are projected for the markets of Asia & Australasia, Africa, and even Central & South America despite the economic struggle the key countries like Argentina and Brazil have been enduring. These promising growth rates mean great opportunities to all industry players in these regions. What is required are robust and sustainable strategies to exploit the growing market potential.

Most recently, the dynamics characterising the pallet stretch wrap trade arena have been influenced by a boost in polymer production capacity in the United States, a surge in local consumption in developing nations driven by investments in the retail, infrastructure and construction sectors, as well as fluctuations in exchange rates which have been affecting the competitiveness and cost structures of some regions.

The adoption of stretch hoods is becoming increasingly attractive for a wider range of transported goods at the expense of shrink hoods. As the cost of wrapping machinery decreases because of higher competition from new entrants, and the wrap cost per pallet reduces as a result of thinner and stronger films, it is expected that stretch hoods will continue penetrating more than the spiral pallet wrap applications used by major customers.

This comprehensive study builds on and expands AMI's successful reports related to the palletisation industry and aims to help industry players:

• Evaluate growth dynamics
• Identify emerging opportunities
• Understand market constraints and competitive pressures
• Assess latest development in resin formulation
• Appreciate the degree of penetration of recycled and bio-material innovations
• Formulate coherent and robust business plans.

For further information:
Elena Mozzato, Senior Research Analyst
AMI Consulting
+44 (0)117 924 9442
elena.mozzato@ami.international

AMI has announced dates for the first Fire Resistance in Plastics Virtual Summit, taking place on the mornings of 23-25 February 2021. This fully online event will replace the live conference which, due to Covid-19 restrictions, was unable to take place as scheduled on 30 November – 2 December 2020 at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel in Düsseldorf, Germany. The summit launches with the support of Headline Sponsor ICL-IP, Gold Sponsors Clariant Plastics & Coatings GmbH, Funzionano AS and PINFA, and Silver Sponsor Thor GmbH.

Confirmed speakers include:

Dr. Gunter Beyer | CEO | Fire and Polymers
Topic: What is new in FR research in 2019 and 2020? New FR systems and concepts

Mr. Peter Kornas | Director - Product Development and Technical Application |
BÜFA Composite Systems GmbH & Co. KG
Topic: Modifying customer tailored FR-solutions for different branches. Development and application of fire retardant unsaturated polyester resins

Dr. Abdullah Al-Mamun | Corporate R&D, Material and Process Development | Adler Pelzer Group
Topic: Extending the service life of highly-filled automotive parts: understanding the influence of fire retardants and stabilizers

Mrs. Buket Turan | R&D Project Manager |Eurotec Engineering Plastics
Topic: Tailoring material solutions to comply with stringent fire safety standards for public transportation application

In addition to a full programme of presentations and an interactive Q&A panel discussion, the online event gives attendees access to a virtual exhibition area where they can explore and interact with the FR industry. Attendees will also be able to dip in and out of presentations and watch on-demand for 30 days after the event. 

For more information on attending the Fire Resistance in Plastics Virtual Summit, or becoming a speaker or sponsor, please visit www.ami.ltd/event-fire

About Fire Resistance in Plastics
Well established as one of the leading global conferences on the latest developments in flame retardants and flame-retardant plastics, the 2021 Virtual Summit will be an essential opportunity to engage and learn from leading industry experts whilst networking with customers, suppliers, associations and academics.

For further information please contact:

Emily Nicholson
Conference Organiser | AMI
T / +44 (0) 117 314 8111
E/ ​​​emily.nicholson@ami.international

AMI has announced an exciting move online for its popular Specialty Packaging Films Asia conference, which was postponed back in March 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions. The new Specialty Packaging Films Virtual Summit will now take place on 23-25 March 2021 as a fully online event. It offers a full programme of industry presentations, interactive Q&A sessions and access to a virtual exhibition and networking area where attendees can meet with flexible packaging material specifiers, technical specialists and marketing experts in the Asian and international flexible packaging markets.

For more information on attending the Specialty Packaging Films Virtual Summit, or becoming a speaker or sponsor, please visit www.ami.ltd/event-films-asia

About Specialty Packaging Films Virtual Summit

The summit provides a virtual forum where the latest market insights and developments can be explored in depth, enabling attendees to lead the debate on how the flexible packaging industry should innovate to support product optimisation and sustainability initiatives. Hear from local and international experts in film packaging and access a global audience of buyers, converters, manufacturers researchers and industry suppliers no matter where you are in the world.

For more information please contact:

Rebecca Weir | Senior Conference Organiser | AMI
T / +44 (0) 117 924 9442
E / Rebecca.weir@ami.international

The Chemical Recycling USA conference will take place on March 4-5, 2021 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston, Texas. This inaugural event in North America is an opportunity to learn more and discuss the emerging technologies, where they are today and where they will go in this rapidly growing sector. 

With the program recently released, expert speakers from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Closed Loop Partners, UL, American Chemistry Council and more have been confirmed to speak about the latest developments in advanced recycling technologies and their integration into the supply chain, as well as strategies for developing the circular economy in North America.

Key presentations include:

• "Policy Drivers for Advanced Recycling" presented by Mr. Craig Cookson, Senior Director, Recycling & Recovery at American Chemistry Council 
  
• “Thinking Outside the Circle: Creating Novel Materials and Bigger Markets for Post-Use Plastics through Advanced Recycling” presented by Mr. Domenic Di Mondo, VP of Technology at GreenMantra Technologies
  
• “Electrifying progress – a plastic-to-plastic innovative solution” presented by Mr. Jocelyn Doucet, President at Pryowave Inc.
  
• “Scaling Advanced Recycling: Evaluating the Technical, Financial & Environmental Impacts” presented by Ms. Paula Luu, Director, Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners
  
• “Tough Questions — and Honest Answers — about Molecular Chemical Plastics Recycling” presented by Mr. Eric Hartz, President & Co-founder of Nexus LLC

Chemical, or advanced, recycling has in recent years received an increasing level of interest as a means to overcome the limitations of traditional plastics recycling. The possibility of breaking down a wide range of plastic waste into their chemical components and reforming them into new plastics has been a major focus of development and discussion for the industry. However, high levels of investment, value chain collaboration and supporting legislation are still required for chemical recycling to become a reality on an industrial scale.

This conference will help you understand the challenges and opportunities surrounding the development of advanced recycling. Key topics covered on the program include global market trends and forecasts as well as the range of technologies available and how they are advancing through innovation, collaboration and developing the domestic infrastructure for their processes.

In addition to industry presentations, the conference includes discussions on policy mechanisms and strategies for advancing chemical recycling. This event is the perfect opportunity to learn more about these transformational technologies through an event focussed on debate, interaction, conversation and learning.

Chemical Recycling USA 2021 will offer unrivalled opportunities to network, build new business connections and learn through discussion with colleagues, key industry players and expert speakers.

To view the full program visit: www.ami.ltd/ChemRecyclingUSA

For further information on attending, exhibiting or sponsoring this event, please contact Olivia Poole, Conference Organizer and Producer on Tel: +1 610 478 0800 or olivia.poole@ami.international