MORE than 70 finalists across 14 categories have been shortlisted for the Plastics Industry Awards 2023 following a ‘record’ number of entries.
Winners will be announced at an event at the Intercontinental London Park Lane on Friday November 17.
The awards recognise the ways in which plastics product design, manufacture and recycling contribute to ‘successful and sustainable’ innovation in everything from medical devices and electronics to packaging and automotive components.
Companies and individuals on the shortlist include product designers, OEM manufacturers, suppliers, plastics processors, consultants, apprentices and trainees from across the plastics sector.
Finalists for the Best Product Design Award sponsored by Distrupol include a bespoke colostomy bag, a vertical farming tray, a vacuum cleaner, a construction safety hole cover and a window trickle vent. The vertical farming tray has also been shortlisted for Best Recycled Plastic Product, alongside a Bluetooth speaker, a classroom chair, a full body dryer, circular packaging and a drainage access chamber.
Seven projects have been shortlisted for the new category of Sustainability Initiative of the Year sponsored by KraussMaffei Group UK including: Adreco Plastics and CURIO Group, Elite Plastics, Greenback Recycling Technologies, Inoplas Technology, Matrix Plastics, Peerless Plastics & Coatings and Polystar Plastics.
Four individuals have been nominated in the new category of Rising Star: Rowan Fletcher of IPL Global, Daniel Kelk of Plastek UK, Luke Parsons of Summit Systems and Luke Brown MSc also from IPL Global.
Six have qualified for the Apprentice or Trainee of the Year, sponsored by Meusburger, and supported with a cash prize of £500 donated by the Polymer Machinery Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMMDA): Leah Ebbs of OGM, Cody Etchells of Complexa HPE, Youssef Hafid of Pentagon Plastics, Nathan Hensley of Reliance Worldwide Corporation, Rebekah Parsons – Tex Plastics, Sierra 57 Consult and Benjamin Smith of Berry Norwich.
Five companies have been shortlisted for the Processor of the Year Award sponsored by ENGEL UK. They are: MGS Technical Plastics, OGM, Pentagon Plastics, Plastek UK and Polystar Plastics.
The Prime Machinery Supplier Partnership, sponsored by Interplas, features eight finalists. Four entries have been shortlisted for the Supplier Partnerships – Toolmaker category sponsored by HASCO and a further four have made it through in the Supplier Partnership – Ancillary Machinery category sponsored by PlastikCity.
The Plastics Industry Ambassador Award winner will also be announced on the evening of 17th November.
Interplas is sponsoring the champagne reception in celebration of its 75th anniversary this year. The after-show entertainment and party are sponsored by ENGEL UK and KraussMaffei Group UK are sponsoring the winners’ champagne prizes. Arburg is sponsoring the charity casino at the event, with all funds raised going to Myton Hospice.
The awards enjoy the support of industry associations including The BPF (British Plastics Federation), the GTMA, PMMDA (Polymer Machinery Manufacturers & Distributors Association), the SPRA (Scottish Plastics & Rubber Association), and Sustainable Plastics magazine and website, all of whom are represented on the judging panel.
A limited number of tables for the gala dinner and awards ceremony are currently available via the website or from the Plastics Industry Awards stand at Interplas. More information and online table bookings can be found at:Â https://plasticsawards.com/plasticsindustryawards2023/en/page/book-now
