Extrusion International USA 2-2022

32 Extrusion International 2/2022 INDUSTRY NEWS „ The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has an- nounced the winners of their 2022 Re|focus Sustainability Innovation Awards. Presented annually, the awards recog- nize companies that are driving environmental advances in product design, sustainable materials and end-of-life recovery of plastics. The panel of judges for the 2022 awards included Kyla Fisher of Three Peaks Consulting, Ron Vance of the U.S. En- vironmental Protection Administration, and Lilli Sherman of Plastics Technology Magazine. “We’re grateful to our panel of expert judges for lending us their time and talent,” said Tony Radoszewski, President and CEO of PLASTICS. “This is one of my favorite PLASTICS programs, because it gives companies an opportunity to prove that our industry is walking the walk when it comes to sustainability and protecting the environment.” The award for Sustainability Innovation in Design goes to Klöckner Pentaplast, for kpNext™ R1, the fi rst phar- maceutical blister fi lm designed to be recycled in the RIC 1 recycling stream. Where pharmaceutical blister fi lms are typically produced from materials that are not readily recy- clable, kpNext™R1 is produced from a special PET formula- tion that allows it to be fully recycled in the same curbside recycling stream as plastic water bottles. In the Sustainability in Materials category, the 2022 winner is Starlinger visotec for rPET100, a heat-resistant and fully recyclable sheet material for thermoformed packaging that can be made from 100% recycled content and then re- cycled again while maintaining high quality in strength and appearance. Containing only natural-based mineral fi llers, there are no stabilizers or polymer additives to prevent re- cycling in the existing food packaging loop. The 2022 Sustainability in End-of-Life Award winner is JP Industrial for its proprietary AERO Screening Technology that converts waste PVC into a high-grade PVC powder that can be used in a variety of quality applications. The process also captures and reuses material traditionally lost in the scrap recycling process. This material has been used in a variety of applications and products, particularly in the building sector. The fourth category in the Sustainability InnovationAwards is the People’s Choice Award which, for 2022, is claimed by Novoloop, Inc. They impressed the public with Oistre™, the fi rst thermoplastic urethane (TPU) made using advanced chemical recycling. In addition to the main-category awards, PLASTICS also presented an award for overall Leadership in Sustainability Innovation. FordMotor Company takes that titlewith three unique concepts – one involving closed-loop recycling, one featuring parts made from 100% recycled ocean plastic, and another showing the advantages of using nanocellu- lose to lighten the weight of vehicles while decreasing de- pendence on fossil fuels in the manufacturing process. “Innovation and sustainability have become inextricably linked in the plastics industry,” said Patrick Krieger, Vice President for Sustainability at PLASTICS, “We're seeing so many companies using plastics to improve the sustainabil- ity of so many other industries like food and the automo- tive industries.” The association will be celebrating the award winners at its Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit, May 23-26 at Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) plasticsindustry.org 2022 Sustainability Innovation Award Winners Klöckner Pentaplast’s easily recycledkpNext™R1, pharmaceutical blister fi lm Starlinger visotec’s PCR-based, heat-resistant, easily recyclable rPET100 Schematic for JP Industrial’sAEROScreeningTechnology