Plasticity Forum London

“Designing for the Future – Plastic and the Circular Economy”

The Plasticity Forum brings its big discussion on the future of plastic sustainability to London, giving the design community a chance to learn how to lead the brands they work for, and products they develop, into a circular economy, where waste is a forgotten concept. Proudly part of the London Design Festival (LDF), the Plasticity Forum will inspire a segment of industry which is often missing at sustainability related discussions – the design community. Plastic pollution may be one of the biggest looming challenges of our time, but also one of the exciting opportunities when new design solutions are scaled across industries.

This is important for all brands and companies in APAC, as plastic is a universal material with a wide range of benefits, but its waste footprint is increasingly becoming a challenge for the communities we all live in. Much of the inspiration and production with new designs and materials will come from the APAC region, with Plasticity giving the latest information on opportunities in this space.

Some of the global expert speakers in this uniquely focused event, which covers a wide spectrum of topics within the plastic space, include Chris Grantham, Circular Economy Portfolio Director from one of the world’s leading design companies, IDEO, Quentin Drewell, UK Circular Economy Lead - Accenture, Willem De Vos, CEO - Society of Plastics Engineers,. Simon Widmer, Project Manager of Circular Design - Ellen MacCarthur Foundation, David Wilson, Director – Vanden Recycling, and Mr. Panjak Pancholi, President – Just Egg, who makes a new polymer additive from egg shells. Entrepreneurs, innovators and designers will also join representatives from the British Plastics Federation and the City of London to lead one of the biggest sustainability events of the LDF.

The event is positioned as part of the London Design Festival because often the design community is not involved with sustainability discussions, options and opportunities, and they therefore may not realize all of the issues and complexities which are associated with plastic vis-à-vis materials, processes and recycled content. All of these can make big impacts in reducing the waste footprint associated with plastic products, giving designers a new tool and differentiating skill that they can bring to the companies they work with.

Held most recently this past spring in Shanghai, the event brings together experts from across the plastics spectrum to discuss innovation and the dynamics of scaling processes, materials and recycling to reduce waste and create value. “Plastic is an incredibly valuable material due to its light weight, durability and versatile properties, but it is but complex to handle when thrown away, exactly because of these qualities, and the lack of infrastructure in waste and recycling around the world that has not kept pace with the material’s broad use,” says Doug Woodring, Plasticity’s Founder.

The event will offer “a big conversation on the future of plastic,” and discuss where opportunities can be created related to recycled content, resource recovery, job creation and waste reduction. “You can read all you like about the importance of change, but nothing is more motivating than the visceral experience of seeing, feeling and breathing it, and this event helps to bring the designers into that frame of reference for inspiring new shifts in plastic waste reduction and sustainability,” Says Chris Grantham, Circular Economy Portfolio Director atIDEO.

Plasticity London will include discussions on topics such as:

• Designing for recycling & standardization of materials
• Opportunities in manufacturing for the use of recycled content
• Innovations that reduce plastic waste impact & improve brand value
• Reverse supply chains, bring-back programs & how to engage your customers
• Scaling for circular economies within industrial & municipal environments
• Turning waste streams into profit streams
• The recycling tipping point – transforming public beliefs and actions

Who should attend: Brand leaders and innovators, manufacturers and retailers, biopolymer and resin makers, designers, packaging producers, waste-to-fuel companies, angel investors, entrepreneurs, government agencies and policy makers, educators and think tanks. The all-day event will be held in the “Great Room” of the Royal Society of Arts, and pre-registration is required.

See further information about the event here or view this brief video recap of the Plasticity Forum in Shanghai in April.

Sponsor/exhibitor contact

Doug Woodring
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