Series of webinars planned to support collaboration in upcoming plastic packaging challenge
The UK Circular Plastics Network (UKCPN) and the KTN are to host a series of webinar-based workshops to support collaboration for the next round of Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSSP) funding competitions this summer.
The series will start with a special, one-off open workshop on April 24 to determine some of the factors affecting the ability for the plastics community to function in the current Coronavirus crisis, entitled: How is Covid-19 affecting your ability to innovate towards zero plastic waste?
It will then move to a planned programme, weekly from April 30, that will look specifically at the scope of the Smart Sustainable Plastics Packaging Challenge and the WRAP Pact targets in relation to a number of different topics, outlined below:
30 April 2020 – Realising food grade PP in the UK marketplace
07 May 2020 – Compostable packaging – what are the solutions for EoL?
14 May 2020 – Small format and medical packaging – solutions to divert from incineration
21 May 2020 – Low carbon non fossil polymers for packaging applications
28 May 2020 – Business models leading to reduced waste plastic going to landfill
04 June 2020 – Behaviour change leading to less packaging waste
11 June 2020 – Marking and tracking of packaging to make the supply chain more sustainable
18 June 2020 – Solutions for Films and flexibles in packaging applications
25 June 2020 – Packaging solutions suitable for reuse, refill and online delivery
The webinar workshops will take place over the course of a morning, with an opportunity after to meet virtually with co-attendees and then work together in an interactive focussed workshop session to generate some ideas for the solutions for each of the themed events.
These online events will give details about the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge (SSPP) – a £60m business grant support initiative from UKRI – and will provide attendees with the opportunity to identify and link with new partners within the workshop theme; build, and/or join, consortia forming around forthcoming projects; discuss and refine projects ideas with potential partners; and gather information on forthcoming SSPP grant awards.
These events are aimed at companies and research organisations that are interested in Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging projects and will include information about support from UKRI for businesses, the scope and eligibility, and the kind of projects UKRI are looking for.
The workshop will then be a highly participative guided and facilitated consortia/project building and proposal development exercise.
Following the event, the KTN says it is committed to supporting the building of projects that will be able to apply for funding from this funding stream, calls for which are expected in the summer of 2020.