THE inaugural RECOUP Summit, which was held recently in Leeds and sponsored by WRAP and Ecosurety, has been hailed a ‘resounding success’.
RECOUP said the event reconfirmed the need for more innovation and collaboration with industry and government support to ensure delivery of a plastic circular economy.
Focused on developments in technology that will help to drive improvements in the plastics recycling and resource efficiency value chain, the summit featured attendees from across the plastics value chain.
The morning kicked off with a session on advanced recycling technologies, where speakers including Geoff Brighty from Mura Technology, Â Emmeline Aves of ReVentas, and Sam Pine from Greyparrot, shared examples of innovation transforming the sector.
Another breakout session focuses on food contact packaging, exploring how innovation is enhancing recycled content in high-end applications. Speakers included Jeremy Blake from Amcor, David Bargery from Regis Machinery, and Paul Marshall from Nextek, who highlighted the industry’s regulatory, legislative, and cost hurdles. The session honed in on solutions for producing food grade recycled polypropylene (PP), the removal of contaminants from recycled materials, and solutions for converting films back into food-grade material.
In the final breakout session, the conversation turned to the role of data in the circular economy. Sophie Walker from Dsposal, Rachel Warren from Re-universe, and Will Addy from Polytag, stressed how upcoming legislation and new targets require data from the sector to benchmark delivery and progress.
The day culminated in a collaborative session led by Robbie Staniforth (Ecosurety), with panellists including Liz Wildman (MARS), Steve Walsh (TOMRA), James Donaldson (Sortology), Angela Doyle (Robinson Packaging), and Paul Mayhew (MBA Polymers). The panel tackled issues including infrastructure gaps, technical limitations, greenwashing, and the reality of consumer engagement.
RECOUP said the summit underscored the ‘critical need’ for aligned innovation, policy, and investment to drive meaningful progress in plastics recycling and the circular economy.
