TRADE SHOW REVIEW PETplanet Insider Vol. 24 No. 10/23 www.petpla.net 42 Recoup Plastics Resource Recycling Conference 2023 Recoup members and industry representatives gathered at the Kingsgate Conference Centre in Peterborough, England, on September 28 for the latest annual Plastics Resource and Recycling Conference. It was essentially UK focused but addressed issues that are of interest in Europe more widely and across the world. Sponsors included Berry bpi recycling, Tomra, Plastics Europe and the British Plastics Federation. Sessions were chaired and moderated by Tom Heap, a TV personality in the UK, well known from appearances on current affairs programmes and Countryfile, a wildlife and rural affairs show. He was adept at raising points of clarification on subjects on which were not fully understood and at encouraging participants to expand on and develop topics of interest or possible contention. Microplastics in the environment The format was that speakers gave a short presentation, which was followed by questions from the conference hall and following online. It made for a lively and informative series of debates. An early opportunity for clarification arose on the subject of microplastics in the environment, which have been found in organisms as small as diatoms and appear to accumulate up the food chain. While acknowledging that this was evidentially the case, Heap asked if there was any evidence of harm. The response was a definite yes from Rowan Byrne, Marine Biologist & Technical Expert - Marine Plastics Project Lead, Mott MacDonald Group, a management, engineering and development consultancy headquartered in Croydon in Greater London. “The harm is reduced ability for species to survive,” he said. This impacts on the livelihoods in the fishing industry. “Also, reduced age groups of these organisms, reduced ability to just do its normal daily activity, behavioural changes and physiological changes. The impacts are stark, because they alter the natural behaviour of all the organisms, they accumulate in the ecosystem and impact biodiversity on the coast.” ‘Plastic phobia’ and the need for education The case for keeping plastic waste out of the environment is a strong one but the conference also cautioned about the dangers of ‘plastic phobia’. Plastic polymers are and remain the most efficient, safest and – if handled correctly – the most eco-friendly materials for medical devices, packaging and a range of other uses. ‘Plastic phobia’ can lead to single use plastic being replaced by single-use paper, which is deemed to be more environmentally friendly. This is not the case, according to Shane Monkman, Managing Director, One:Ex Consulting Ltd. He was formerly responsible for packaging and procurement with supermarket chain Asda. “Every material has a role to play but every material comes with its own tradeoffs,” he said and expressed concerns about the impact of paper, including deforestation and monoculture forestry, higher carbon emissions and biodegradability. Better handling and infrastructure The ‘plastic bad/paper good’ drumbeat can be confusing for consumers. The challenge the conference was addressing was how to handle plastics better, to reduce waste, improve reuse, recovery and recycling and to ensure that the infrastructure and capacity are in place, make education and accurate information a priority and, crucially, make recycling easier for the public. Of late, the opposite seems to have been the case. The UK has seen recycling facilities closed, rather than reopened. Collection rates have fallen in some parts of the country, according to a representative from Cambridgeshire County Council, in part because of disruption from Covid measures and the consequences and hangovers. Soft plastic collection and recycling, in particular, leaves a lot to be desired and chemical recycling is both in its infancy and often misunderstood. Searching for the right solutions There is no simple, one-size-fits-all solution, however. Recycling processes that require a lot of water – ie, by Ruari McCallion
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