Milan, on May 24 and 25, will gather major representatives of the European plastics converting industry, to witness the commitment of the sector to the pillars identified by the European strategy for plastics in a circular economy. This event, organised by Unionplast - the Italian association of plastics converters - and EuPC - the European association of plastics converters - will be one of the most strategic and important moments of 2018 for the European plastics converting industry, which employs more than 1,600,000 people in 50,000 small and medium-sized businesses. Unionplast and EuPC will bring together over 250 plastics converters from all over Europe to work together during two days of conferences, workshops and debates.

"The challenges towards 2030 will be many and to face them we need the commitment of the entire value chain, including converters, polymer producers, recyclers, brand owners and also consumers”, the EuPC managing director, Alexandre Dangis, stated.

The central theme will be "A Circular Future with Plastics" and the discussion will include topics such as the growing importance of waste prevention, or reuse and recycling in the light of the latest guidelines expressed by the European institutions in the European strategy for plastics and in the Voluntary Commitments of the plastics industry. During the first day on May 24, three "market divisions" covering packaging, automotive, building and construction will take place simultaneously. During the main conference on May 25, representatives of national as well as European politics and leaders of the European plastics industry will share their knowledge and experience on industry trends. The presence of the European Commissioner for Growth Elżbieta Bieńkowska will be the highlight of the conference, in a moment where the plastics strategy and the definition of the related action plans are taking shape.

"The new challenges of the European strategy for plastics in a circular economy require a joint commitment to achieve common goals. We need to work together to implement the principles of the circular economy such as ecodesign along the whole value chain. We also need to raise awareness of the citizens’ role in reducing waste and improving recycling. The challenge affects all companies, from family owned companies to large international ones, and is one of the key elements of the development prospects of our sector. The presence of entrepreneurs and managers in this event is therefore of fundamental importance", Angelo Bonsignori, general director of Federazione Gomma Plastica, declared.