Polish plastics production continues to make strides, participants at the recent “Opportunities for the Polish Plastics Industry” conference, held in Warsaw / Poland on 22 May, concluded. Not only did the number of employees in the sector rise in 2013, so did total production volume as well as investments.

More than 90 participants flocked to the one-day event organised by European Plastics Converters (EuPC, Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticsconverters.eu). Despite an overall positive development, challenges remain, including in the plastics recycling sector. Up to 62% of plastic waste continues to go towards landfill, a situation EuPC would like to see improve by the introduction of better waste management techniques as well as a ban on landfill. In addition, the association called on producers to pay more attention to recycling during a product’s initial design stage.

Aside from raising environmental awareness among the general population, the conference panel also agreed on the need to improve the country’s plastic waste collection system, the introduction of higher fees for landfill as well as a more restrictive certification for waste reception and recycling. EuPC managing director Alexandre Dangis also emphasised the need for Poland’s plastics industry to continue developing by investing in R&D and new technologies.