PRW James Stanton interview

Distrupol’s James Stanton reviews key events from 2018 and how education can support the UK plastics industry

We are extremely pleased to welcome back Plastics and Rubber World to the industry. After a short hiatus, it’s fantastic to see such a reputable and long-standing publication being relaunched to continue serving as a hub of knowledge, innovation, news coverage and discussion for suppliers, distributors, manufacturers and developers across the UK plastic industry. Alongside many great events throughout the year, such as the Plastics Design and Moulding (PDM) show and the Plastics Industry Awards, PRW provides opportunities to meet, unite and liaise with other industry professionals.

It’s no secret that the plastic industry has been under immense scrutiny as of late. It’s hard to escape images and reports of the environmental impact of plastic in today’s society. As industry experts at Distrupol, we know that whilst the irresponsible disposal of plastic (just like any other material) can indeed be detrimental to our oceans and wildlife, there is in fact an abundance of advantages, positives and life-saving qualities that plastic offers to us on a daily basis; from making cars more fuel efficient to enabling the most intricate of medical devices and reducing food waste. 

Earlier this year, members of the Distrupol team attended a parliamentary reception, hosted by the British Plastics Federation (BPF). ‘The Future of Plastics in a Sustainable Society’ was held in September and welcomed over 160 people and 22 MPs. Many aspects of plastic were discussed, including investing in the infrastructure, through to responsible disposal and recycling of plastic material. It’s through education and the use of plastic in a responsible way that we can leverage the many fantastic attributes of plastic, whilst caring for our environment. 

This year, Distrupol is proud to have enrolled with the BPF’s Polymer Ambassador Scheme. The Polymer Ambassador scheme is an initiative to give people from the polymer industry the opportunity to teach children and students about the exciting world of polymers, engaging with them about the possibilities of science, engineering and manufacturing. It’s initiatives such as this which are incredibly inspiring and compelling and will transform the polymer industry in the future.
Finally, while we don’t want to speculate or pre-empt the outcome of Brexit, we are of course watching very closely to see how terminating the UK’s position with the EU will affect our industry, specifically with regard to regulation and compliance in areas such as REACH. 

With that, we wish good luck to the PRW team, we congratulate them on their triumphant relaunch and we look forward to collaborating with the publication in the future.

Back to news