Life outside of the bubble
In the latest instalment of his exclusive column, Philip Law outlines how the latest survey of its members reveals a cautiously robust approach, the successful hosting of a major UK plastics conference and the three winners of the Polymer Apprentice of the Year’ award committed to a career in plastics.
The UK plastics industry is sitting tight. Prudence is very much in the air and this was borne out by our latest ‘Business Conditions Survey’, carried out in February.
Whilst over half of the 106 firms responding were predicting increased sales turnover, less confidence was expressed about exports and there was a decline to 29 per cent of those anticipating significant investments.
Given the long litany of headwinds – Brexit uncertainties (now a cliché), the USA – China trade friction, downturns in China and Germany, the Honda Swindon closure, JLR’s announcement of temporary stoppages and the travails of the aerospace industry, I would describe the sentiments of our member firms as cautiously robust with the hatches firmly battened down.
We also carried out a snap membership survey mirroring the indicative votes on Brexit options in the House of Commons on 27th March. We had 150 senior plastics industry figures respond. They conclusively rejected a No-Deal Brexit, 66 per cent were in favour of revoking Article 50 to avoid a No-Deal scenario, 65 per cent wanted a Customs Union and 60 per cent a confirmatory public vote.
Committed to a Career in Plastics
But life carries on outside the political bubble. It was great to see young achievers being honoured at the recent 2018 ‘Polymer Apprentice of the Year’ award in the City, a project jointly run by The Worshipful Company of Horners and the BPF. The proved winner was Jake Hallatt of Gripple Limited, who had taken a Science Manufacturing Technician Level 3 Diploma in Polymer Processing Operations. Runner-Up was Tom Ward of Amaray and James Lawrence of Luxus was highly commended. Three fine young men committed to a career in plastics.
Circular Achievements
Another positive step was the international waste management conference, ‘Identiplast’, this year held in London by PlasticsEurope and the BPF. Coming at the point when formal Governmental Consultations on plastics taxes and waste management issues are in the public eye, this conference, which had over 340 attendees and fifty speakers, was held at the heart of the Westminster village.
Over the two days of 7th & 8th March, it laid out in great detail practical industry initiatives addressing the whole array of current waste management concerns, from the billion-dollar project announced by the global Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) to the recycling of Styrene Polymers. It was all there and a real demonstration that industry is doing its bit.
BPF’s President, Bruce Margetts opened Identiplast along side Javier Constante, the President of PlasticsEurope.
Bruce’s comment that we want to protect polar bears as well as whales reminded us that as well as the all-important need to accelerate the recycling of plastics products, we must not lose sight of broader sustainability through resource efficiency measures such as lightweighting leading to carbon savings and less global warming.
Coffey MP, effectively our Minister for Waste, had been invited to speak but couldn’t make it, however she did send a video message stating that she welcomed industry-led effort to reduce plastic waste. Refreshingly Daniel Calleja Crespo, the European Commission’s top man on the Environment categorically stated that the Commission recognises the plastics sector as being of great strategic importance and that plastics are crucial materials for the EU economy and should not be demonised.
It was great to demonstrate through the holding of this conference in the UK that the BPF is contributing strongly to the thought leadership of the global industry on this crucial issue of waste management.
Philip Law is the Director-General of the British Plastics Federation, the trade association for the plastics industry in the UK and Ireland.