A webinar by the UK Circular Plastics Network, KTN and WRAP Cymru, supported by UKRI and the Welsh Government, focused on challenges, solutions and funding for businesses to help eliminate plastic waste entering the environment. Recording available.
On Wednesday 18th November 2020 from 09.30 – 12.00, UKCPN, KTN and WRAP Cymru, supported by UKRI and Welsh Government, held a webinar on how your business can eliminate plastic waste from entering the environment.
In the UK, the amount of recycled plastic in non-packaging applications is thought to be low, unlike in packaging applications which has recently seen a significant increase. In Wales, it is estimated that just 10% of the plastic used by manufacturers is recycled material.
Changes in the plastic waste/pollution policy landscape, user sustainability trends and material supply chain issues – among other factors – have created both challenges and opportunities for innovators, researchers and manufacturers. There is an opportunity to create value from plastic waste. This could involve new or improved, commercially and environmentally advantageous technologies or business models.
A number of government-funded initiatives are in place to foster collaborations, accelerate R&D towards plastics circularity, and facilitate the use of recycled plastics on a commercial scale. These include the UK Government’s £60m Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, and the Welsh Government’s £6.5m Circular Economy Fund grant scheme, delivered by WRAP Cymru.
