Could you please share a bit about yourself, your company, and your role within the organization?

I have worked in the plastics industry for over 30 years in a variety of technical, quality, sales, and management roles. Smithers is a 100-year-old company providing testing, consulting, information, and accreditation services with locations around the globe. I am a Consultant within the Smithers Technical Consulting team, providing my expertise to support clients with their product development challenges.

Without giving too much away, what's the central idea or key takeaway you want attendees to grasp from your presentation?

The use of recycled plastics is increasing due to regulatory and market influences. The use of recycled plastics creates additional quality and technical hurdles that the use of virgin resins usually does not. Smithers can assist companies that want to use recycled plastics with the additional quality, testing, and technical issues that arise from the use of recycled plastics.

Why is now the right time for this topic? What current trends or challenges make your insights particularly relevant for attendees at this expo?

The use of recycled plastics is rapidly increasing due to regulatory and market influences.

What specific problem or challenge will your presentation help attendees solve, or what opportunity will it help them unlock?

Attendees will develop an understanding of some of the technical and quality issues associated with using recycled plastic materials in various applications. The presentation will also cover what testing and monitoring can do to help prevent issues in end-use applications.

Could you share a brief, intriguing glimpse into something unexpected or particularly compelling you'll be discussing in your session?

Companies that are interested in using recycled plastics do not need to have additional quality and testing done by their existing employees or add new headcount. Smithers can provide the testing and validation needed to accomplish their objectives without adding overhead costs.

Who will benefit most from attending your session, and why should they make sure to include it in their expo schedule?

Anyone who is considering using or is actively using recycled plastics in their processes.

What's one thing you hope attendees will do differently or think differently about after hearing you speak?

I hope attendees will not feel as overwhelmed by the idea of incorporating recycled plastics into their processes. Taking additional steps forward in the use of recycled plastics can be done through a methodical look at quality and testing to support applications that may not have been previously considered.

What personal experience or insight led you to focus on this particular topic for your expo presentation?

Seeing the significant growing interest in recycled plastic use in the past 5-6 years, and hearing of the many challenges and uncertainty with the actual implementation of recycled plastics use.

Beyond your presentation, what are you most excited about seeing or experiencing at this year's expo?

Networking with acquaintances and meeting new people in the industry. I look forward to understanding some of their challenges and how we could potentially help them to meet their goals.