SPI - Refocus Recycling Summit & Expo - 2016

What sets Re|focus apart?

Did you know the plastics industry is the 3rd largest manufacturing industry in the U.S., employing nearly 900,000 employees and producing almost $400 billion in goods on an annual basis? Now imagine if recycled plastics were a key feedstock for manufacturing across all industry segments, not just packaging. The potential to grow the use of recycled plastics in manufacturing is enormous and making that happen in a meaningful way is the aim of Re|focus.The focus of the show is to help brand owners and processors take their environmental goals from aspirational to operational. This is an approach that has never been taken before, with a message that has never been given to this audience before.

The Re|focus: Recycling Summit & Expo will challenge brand owners and processors to “refocus” on product design and manufacturing with an eye toward recycled content, design for recycling and driving sustainability in manufacturing. With Re|focus, we are moving the recycling conversation into new territory, and we hope you will join us in this ground breaking event.

It is also important to note that all funds generated from the Re|focus: Recycling Summit & Expo will be reinvested into the industry.

Re|focus is an entirely new approach to manufacturing with a priority on recycling, and we invite you to join us!

Choosing to use recycled content offers a wide variety of benefits. Traditionally, quality, cost, and performance have been the key drivers behind material selection. But, what happens to that decision when other factors are thrown into the mix, like voluntary sustainability initiatives, green marketing, customer demands, and retailer initiatives?

Cost Savings
Many PCR feed streams also present cost savings over prime material. While pricing is not officially tied to that of prime, trends in price fluctuation over time suggest that PCR generally maintains a fairly standard price spread with virgin.

Market Differentiation
PCR can be a way to set your products apart from competition offering similar products. Early adopters of PCR usage in new applications get significant mileage from PCR as a market differentiator.

New Thresholds for Market Entry
PCR has become a requirement for entry into a market for many sectors. Brand owners also face pressure from customers who require recycled content as part of their institutional purchasing plans.

Carbon Footprint Reduction
Because the extraction and initial production stages are avoided, recycled materials have reduced resource intensity. Research suggests that using recycled plastics can reduce the carbon footprint of a product from 30% to 50% (pwgo.to/1310).

Re|focus offers plastics and recycling supplier, equipment, and service companies the opportunity to connect with the processors and brand owners seeking solutions around recycling and sustainability. With a summit theme focused on reduce, reuse, recycle, and renew, attendees will be in search of the companies and partners that will help them advance their environmental goals. Position your company where the future is happening. Projected attendance: 1,300+ business professionals focused on best environmental practices in plastics production, processing, and recycling.

The expo floor complements the solutions experience for the attendees, showcasing commercial products and services driving the reduction, reuse, recycling, and renewable life of plastic.

EXHIBIT CATEGORIES INCLUDE:

• Additive Supplier
• Biodegradable Resins
• Recycling Plants/Facilities
• Bioplastics
• Material/Resins Supplier
• Recycling Systems
• Composites
• Sortation Equipment
• Recycling/Waste Services
• Compounder
• Purchasing/Selling Scrap
• Regulatory Compliance
• Design for Recycling/Sustainability
• Recycling Machinery/equipment
• Sustainability Services/Solutions

• Recycling Technology
• Regulation & Compliance
• Supply Chain Management
• Engineering
• General Sessions
• Industry Focus