5 trends for the plastics industry

5 trends for the plastics industry

The plastics industry is a dynamic one and a lot is happening in terms of innovation. "The image of plastics is not always shiny, because people always immediately think of plastic and the plastic soup. Fortunately, the industry is increasingly proving otherwise," says Barend Blom, programme manager for training at Mikrocentrum. In this article, we list the main trends from the plastics industry for you.

Millions of plastic products roll off the production line every day worldwide. Your dopper, the packaging material of your package ordered online or a part of one of your cars: a world without plastics is unthinkable. Together with the rubber industry, the plastics industry accounts for 35,000 jobs in the Netherlands. The sector turns over some 8.8 billion in turnover annually and consists mainly of medium and small enterprises (SMEs).

5 trends for the plastics industry

In a world where innovation is the catalyst for change, there are plenty of developments taking place in the plastics industry. From biodegradable materials to technologies enabling smart plastics, and the end is far from in sight. In this article, Barend Blom, Programme Manager Training and Charlotte de Jong, Programme Manager Kunststoffenbeurs share the main 5 trends from the plastics sector.

1. Bioplastics and Sustainability

"Plastics are mainly made from natural materials, such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and especially crude oil. You don't do much about that. But how you then deal with residual products and recycling, the industry can do something about that," Barend explains. "For instance, the industry is using recyclate more and more often and companies are optimising the production process. The aim is for high-quality products to leave the factory largely made from recycled materials. In addition, companies are also looking at how to make the production process itself energy-efficient. The ambition is to reuse as many residual streams from the production process as possible." For example, there are factories that capture the heat released from the production process to reuse it.

That sustainability is important is also clearly reflected in plastic packaged products and packaging materials, says Barend. "Currently, only 27% of plastic packaging on the Dutch market is 'properly recyclable'. A sustainability plan has been drawn up by the Federatie Nederlandse Rubber- en Kunststofindustrie (NRK)." That plan sets out guidelines: among other things, packaging must become more efficient, lighter and be made from recycled materials as much as possible.

2. Circular economy and smart materials

The plastics industry is increasingly striving for circularity. With improved recycling management and a greater emphasis on reuse. All this resulting in a reduced waste stream and a cleaner planet. A circular economy is becoming increasingly important for the plastics industry, says Charlotte. "This is actually true in all industries, but especially in the plastics industry where raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce. It's mainly about reusing products and materials without compromising on quality.

One example is that industry is increasingly using smart materials. Plastics are often very strong and long-lasting. On the one hand, this is an advantage, as the product does not decay quickly, but it can also be a disadvantage. Companies in the industry are responding to that." Charlotte: "Think of the plant pots in the garden that just become compost after a while. That's plastic that dissolves very easily in nature. I expect the share of those smart materials to keep increasing."

3. Reshoring and automation

The pandemic has made it difficult for companies in the plastics industry to import all the parts they need, Barend says. "They are asking the question: do our products have to come from so far away? Transport and imports are becoming more expensive. So you see more and more production parts being brought back to Europe." To keep products cost-effective, companies are increasingly turning to automation. For instance, Barend and Charlotte both see an emergence of parties developing smart software to optimise production processes. Robotics is gaining momentum in the industry. "Robots can take over part of production and speed it up. You really come across those more and more in a factory."

4. Scarcity

The plastics industry is facing a shortage of personnel and raw materials. "That scarcity is really a big challenge for the industry," Barend recalls. Many companies reduced or even stopped production during the pandemic. "When they went off again, raw materials were hard to come by." Charlotte hopes the scarcity can also give companies something to gain. "If you can produce smarter and therefore produce less waste and need less staff, you can close a bit of the gap."

When it comes to staff shortages, Mikrocentrum is also helping to fill a piece of the gap. Facilitating a whole range of training courses for employees who are developing further is a plus here. "From Injection Moulding to a training programme where your Power Skills are improved. So that there are plenty of professionals available to fill the staff shortage."

5. 3D printing

3D printing is currently still losing out to traditional techniques such as injection moulding, extrusion or vacuum forming, but is going to take over an increasing share of the market in the future, both Barend and Charlotte expect. "There are more and more options. For example, you can easily have a prototype printed and you don't have to have an expensive mould made straight away. But it is also very interesting for producing complex materials." In addition, it is a circular technique; no more material is used than is needed, so there is no residual waste. Before this trend can fully join the circular economy, recyclable or bio-based materials should preferably also be used.