20 Episodes
Willemijn Peeters, Searious Business
Willemijn Peeters, head of consultancy Searious Business, says the treaty needs to move the world away from virgin plastic and into what she calls “real recycling” with extended producer responsibility laws and deposit return systems. Peeters, who is a paid consultant for the United Nations Environment Programme and an unpaid adviser to the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, says countries should understand that some companies like those in the business coalition want strict regulations. Editor’s note: Peeters attended the negotiations with a media pass from Sustainable Plastics magazine, which is owned by Crain Communications, the parent company of Plastics News. PN interviewed her in her role with Searious Business. The media pass with SP was issued by the United Nations Environment Programme, which is organizing the treaty negotiations. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Yvette Arrellano, Fenceline Watch
Yvette Arellano heads the Houston-based environmental justice organization Fenceline Watch. The group, which advocates for communities along the petrochemical corridors of the U.S. Gulf Coast, sees the treaty as “vital” to its work reducing pollution and toxic chemical exposure in those communities and halting the growth of plastic production. Arellano said the negotiations also increase international oversight of state and federal government actions in the U.S. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Betsy Bowers, EPS Industry Alliance
Betsy Bowers, the head of the Expanded Polystyrene Industry Alliance, came to the Paris talks in listening mode and to react to early calls in the treaty discussions to include EPS packaging on a list of banned or problematic plastic materials. The group, which represents companies that make EPS packaging used in consumer products like electronics, is closely monitoring treaty discussions around extended producer responsibility laws and is interested in how depot collection programs like those being considered under Oregon’s EPR law could be used elsewhere. Ed Shepherd offers the perspective of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which wants the agreement to reduce plastics made from virgin fossil fuels and identify problematic plastics or products that can be eliminated. The coalition is made up of major consumer brand companies like Unilever, where Shepherd works, as well as financial institutions and some global plastic packaging companies. He argues that the expected growth in virgin plastic production in coming years could make it very hard to meet the objectives of the treaty, without strong action. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Ed Shepherd, Business Coalition for a Global Plastics treaty
Ed Shepherd offers the perspective of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which wants the agreement to reduce plastics made from virgin fossil fuels and identify problematic plastics or products that can be eliminated. The coalition is made up of major consumer brand companies like Unilever, where Shepherd works, as well as financial institutions and some global plastic packaging companies. He argues that the expected growth in virgin plastic production in coming years could make it very hard to meet the objectives of the treaty, without strong action. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Graham Houlder, Ceflex
Flexible plastic packaging has recycling challenges but is popular in the marketplace, protecting food while being lightweight and reducing other environmental impacts. Graham Houlder, the director of the European industry group Ceflex, said they want to see the treaty endorse extended producer responsibility legislation and global packaging design standards to deal with recycling challenges. The prominence of flexibles like pouches on grocery shelves — it packages about half the food in Europe and elsewhere — suggests the treaty will have to consider the packaging format. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Joshua Baca, formerly of the American Chemistry Council
When we recorded this interview at the Paris talks, Joshua Baca was vice president of plastics at the American Chemistry Council. A few weeks later he left the ACC, but we decided to keep the interview for its perspective on the negotiations. Baca talked about the need to expand waste management systems to 3 billion people around the world who don’t have it, improve the “pretty broken” U.S. recycling system and have the treaty recognize the role plastics will play in meeting the U.N.’s sustainable development goals and enabling products that decarbonize the economy. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Kate Bailey, Association of Plastics Recyclers
Plastic recycling companies see the treaty as a “huge” opportunity to bring change and help struggling plastics recycling markets. Kate Bailey, the chief policy officer for the Association of Plastic Recyclers in the United States, hopes the treaty can push adoption of extended producer responsibility laws and design for recycling. As well, Bailey said the treaty is moving beyond recycling into plastics and chemical health concerns. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Matt Seaholm, Plastics Industry Association
Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association in Washington, wants the treaty to have “ambitious yet reasonable” goals and be something that the U.S. government can agree to. For his association, that means no caps or bans on plastic production and a focus on reducing plastic pollution in the environment. Seaholm also discussed the group’s support for recycled content requirements and why they see it as important that the treaty recognize advanced, or chemical, recycling of plastics. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
Anja Brandon, Ocean Conservancy
Anja Brandon is associate director of U.S. plastics policy with the environmental group Ocean Conservancy. Their priorities for the treaty include meaningful source reduction of single-use plastics, addressing lost fishing gear and microplastic pollution, and working to have the treaty exclude chemical recycling. Brandon, a former U.S. Senate staffer, discusses how a U.S. president and state governments could move ahead on treaty priorities, if Congress deadlocks. Ed Shepherd offers the perspective of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, which wants the agreement to reduce plastics made from virgin fossil fuels and identify problematic plastics or products that can be eliminated. The coalition is made up of major consumer brand companies like Unilever, where Shepherd works, as well as financial institutions and some global plastic packaging companies. He argues that the expected growth in virgin plastic production in coming years could make it very hard to meet the objectives of the treaty, without strong action. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@plastics_news Subscribe to Plastics News: https://www.plasticsnews.com/subscribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plastics-news/ LinkedIn Professional Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4270557/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plasticsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/plasticsnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticsnews/
#11 Taking on the health care industry
Ben Harp at Polymer Conversions was stumped on rising premium costs for health care for his employees. So he took on the health care industry. And won. This episode of Plastics News Radio is brought to you by the Caps and Closures Conference in Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.plasticsnews.com/caps
#10 Former Inmates Start a New Life at Carolina Color
Plastics additive maker Carolina Color has a unusual workforce pipeline: the local prison. Two-thirds of its factory employees are former inmates. We look at how that both helps the company's bottom line, and helps employees get their lives back on track.
#09 Hansen Plastics turns to sticky notes to get efficient
After several years of increased sales, Hansen Plastics Corp. in Elgin, Ill., decided they weren't getting enough profit out of the new sales. So the company decided to do a deep dive into lean manufacturing. We go inside the injection molder to find out how it completely changed its company culture.
#08 Closing The Skills Gap With Apprenticeships
Can apprenticeships that mix on-the-job-training and college can create a pipeline of skilled workers? We visit several North Carolina plastics firms that say yes. . And we see how apprenticeship advocates look to Germany's industrial training model. This episode of Plastics News Radio is sponsored by the Plastics News Marketing Summit. For more information or to register, visit http://www.plasticsnews.com/events
#07 The Future Of The Automotive Interior And Plastics' Role
At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, several companies discussed the automotive interior of the future. In this month’s Plastics News Radio, we examine plastics’ role in the future of the interior. This episode is sponsored by the Plastics News Executive Forum, March 27-29 in Naples, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.plasticsnews.com/execforum
#06 Talking Trump, Trade and Twitter with Bill Carteaux
The CEO of the Plastics Industry Association says the Trump administration will be ‘much more business friendly.’ But talk of tearing up trade deals is a concern. And we discuss the President’s habit of tweeting to pressure specific companies. This episode of Plastics News Radio is sponsored by the Executive Forum. For more information or to register, visit http://www.plasticsnews.com/execforum
#05 Building a medical manufacturing base in Mexico
Seisa Group wants to build a medical manufacturing base on the border city of Juarez, Mexico. The company's president talks about the vision of a medical device manufacturing cluster in El Paso/Juarez. This episode is sponsored by the Plastics In Automotive conference. To register, visit: http://www.plasticsnews.com/auto
#04 K 2016
The world's largest plastics trade show recently concluded, and Steve Toloken goes inside K 2016 to see what's on the mind of attendees, exhibitors and Engel Machinery's outgoing CEO Peter Neumann. This episode of Plastics News Radio is sponsored by the Plastics In Automotive Conference. To learn more, or to register, visit: http://www.plasticsnews.com/auto
#03 Manufacturing Day 2016
Since its inception, Manufacturing Day has become a major event for plastics manufacturers to show students what the industry is all about. Steve Toloken visits several plants to see what kids are learning when they step inside plastics processors. This episode of Plastics News Radio is sponsored by the Plastics in Automotive Conference. For more information, visit www.plasticsnews.com/auto If you have any questions or comments, send us a note at [email protected].
#02 Finding the Next Generation
Tyler Johnson isn't getting ready for college this summer. Instead he's gone to work for a mold maker in Indiana. We take a look at how Precise Mold & Plate is going after the skills gap head on. Today's episode is sponsored by Plastics News' Best Places to Work competition. To apply, visit: http://www.bestplacestoworkplastics.com. For more Plastics News Radio, visit: http://www.plasticsnews.com/section/audio If you have questions or comments, send us a note at [email protected].
#01 Breaking the Mold
Plastics News Radio takes a look at women in the plastics industry, the hurdles they face and how manufacturers can be more open to hiring women. To view profiles from women in the industry, visit http://www.plasticsnews.com/topics/1104/women-in-plastics