NPE2018 Round-Up: Recycling, student involvement, the future of bioplastics

Over 2180 exhibiting companies set-up shop within the 1.2 million square feet of trade show floor space for last month’s NPE2018 trade show, making it the largest Plastics show in North America. Over 11,000 international attendees from over 110 countries took part in this 5 day event.

Recycling for the future

One of the most exciting initiatives at the show was a goal set by the show organizers themselves. Their goal was to raise plastics recycling awareness through a 100% recycling initiative during the show. Commercial Plastic Recycling Inc. worked with exhibitors to collect all scrap plastics from booths, sort them into batches for shredding and granulating. The granulated plastic then went through quality control in their Tampa, Florida plant before re-entering the market.

Investing in future leaders

Over 120 local students were invited to attend this years show to learn about the industry and see plastics in action. Students participated in a half-day event where they got up close and personal with plastics materials, machines, and people to learn the needs of today’s (and tomorrow’s) consumers.

Plastics Market Watch Report: Bioplastics

The report “Watching: Bioplastics” was also released at the show, and reports on the interest in and the education needed on bioplastics. The report found that consumers are expecting to see more bioplastics in their consumer products and packaging. The report suggests that businesses be aware of and implement bioplastics in their products and packaging in the coming years. Access the full report here.

If you missed NPE this year, you can attend the next conference May 17-21, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.