Sustainability was a prominent theme at NPE2009, SPI’s triennial international plastics showcase, held June 22-26, 2009 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Sustainability innovations and technologies were highlighted on the show floor; pavilions were dedicated to advancements in energy, biopolymers, new technology and sustainability; conference educational tracks featured sustainability as a key topic and much more.
Approximately 125 plastics industry executives and sustainability experts gathered at “Sustain ’08: Plastics Business Summit” in Chicago on November 5-7, 2008 to discuss sustainability issues and the challenges and opportunities that “going green” present to our industry. The sessions covered topics such as green design, marketing and greenwashing, energy management, supply-chain consequences and the impact on end markets such as medical devices, electronics, automotive, construction and packaging. Check this space regularly over the coming weeks as we roll out speaker presentations as well as a series of video clips based on presentations and interviews conducted at Sustain '08.
Operation Clean Sweep®, an SPI initiative to ensure that spilled resin pellets do not make their way into local waterways or the ocean, is a priority for the plastics industry. The campaign's goal is to help every plastic resin handling operation implement good housekeeping and pellet containment practices to work towards achieving zero pellet loss. More than 150 plastics industry companies have taken the OCS pledge and are instituting the program’s guidelines and environmental management principles.