Promoting discussion within the industry

DeAnne Toto

The recycling industry has had a lot to think about lately, including declining secondary commodities prices, contamination in the recycling stream and the ever evolving nature of postconsumer packaging, all of which impact operations at material recovery facilities (MRFs).

These topics and more are up for discussion at the 2015 Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference, which takes place Oct. 14-16 in Chicago at the Marriott Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile.

The Recycling Today Media Group has been bringing you this event in one form or another since 2000, and we are especially proud of the lineup of speakers and educational sessions we have planned for the 2015 conference.

This issue gives you a preview of some of the topics featured on the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference agenda and a few of the speakers who will share their perspectives with attendees of this year’s event.

In the article “Unwrapping Sustainability,” Anthony DiInneo, president of Havi Global Solutions’ Recycling and Waste Solutions business, talks about the role Havi plays in connecting brand owners with recyclers and the trends shaping consuming packaging and their potential impact on recyclers.

DiInneo continues the conversation at the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference, where he joins the panel for the keynote session, “From Waste to Recycling to Resource Management.” In this session, moderated by Mike Biddle of MBA Polymers and Material Solutions, DiInneo and his fellow speakers discuss sustainable materials management, exploring advances in this area and the critical role that recycling and recyclers play.

Beginning on page 90 of this issue in the article “Down to the Last Detail,” you hear from three other people who take the stage at the 2015 Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference: Kim Holmes of SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, Jonathan Levy of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and Maite Quinn of Sims Metal Management. In this article, Quinn, Holmes and Levy talk about the importance of specifications when buying and selling secondary plastics.

Levy and Quinn address this topic in further detail at the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference, where they are joined by Rick Moore of NAPCOR and Steve Alexander of the Association of Post-Consumer Plastic Recyclers.

Holmes leads the closing session of the conference, which features Xavier Cronin of PetroChem Wire and Robert Render of Ravago Recycling Group. These speakers address short- and long-term market outlooks for secondary plastics and the factors affecting market movement and pricing.

As I noted, we’re proud of our plans for this year’s Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference, and we hope to see you there. Visit http://bit.ly/1KQG6kH to register.