PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2012

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 12 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 12/12 www.petpla.net NovaPET’s “Chips & Grapes - PET in the Vine- yards” Conference in Barbastro Aragon/Spain - combined creativity and pleasure - but business under pressure PET in the vineyards by Wolfgang von Schroeter Chips for PET and Grapes for wines: both are basic prod- ucts to be further processed and developed. Both materials “share the same level of creativity and innovation, contrib- ute to the quality of life and pose challenges for the future” (as the organisers put it). This is the message, this was the idea, when NovaPET invited their guests from the PET industries to participate in the “PET in the Vineyards” Con- ference”. The conference has a tradition - it is already cel- ebrating its third year. Barbastro, in the north of Aragon between the Ebro River and the Pyr- enees, was the ideal location for the conference. From ancient times the town has been known for its excellent wines. Here in the “Somontamo” region - the grapes flourish on the rolling green hills in a moderate climate. And here – in the industrial park – Nova- pet has found the ideal premises to manufacture PET resin and convert it into preforms. Why this conference? David Gonzalez – MD of Novapet – gave this response : “We invited the major suppliers, customers and the participants you would usually expect to find at such an event. Our intention was to bring together the cultural worlds in the value chain - up-stream and down- stream of Novapet. To spend two hours or so together, reflecting on what is happening in the market, discussing matters of inter- est to us all in the PET community. Increasing our knowledge of each other and talking about our companies benefits us all and we at Novapet are delighted to help facilitate such a fruit- ful dialogue.” The attendance of almost all the major players in the Iberian PET industry was an additional reassuring indication that such an event fulfilled a pressing need. It also reflected the current economic uncertainty and political unrest which is dominating the market and putting pressure on companies, particularly in Spain and Portugal, both of which have been badly affected by the financial crisis. High unemployment, inflation, rising costs and dramatic salary cuts have added fuel to the fire, reducing the consumption of beverages and putting capital investment on hold. David Gonzalez The conference took account of the unstable situation. The pro- gramme was chosen – intelligently and with a high degree of sensitivity – to put the spotlight on the situa- tion the PET market is facing. In their presentations, the speakers took a dispassionate view of the situation, offering no easy solution to the crisis, but simply outlining the facts as they affected their own companies. Wolfgang von Schroeter, PETplanet, (second fr.l.) talking to Jose Luis Qui- nones, Resilux Spain (right) The total group of “PET in the vineyards” participants