Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference Europe 2018 schedule unveiled

November event in Prague will focus on changes roiling Europe’s recycling markets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -The organizers of the 2018 Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference Europe event have released the program for the two-day event, which will take place 6-7 November in Prague.

Increased import restrictions introduced by China’s government and the uncertainties caused by changing trade patterns are among topics that will be discussed at the conference, which has been organized annually since 2005 by the Recycling Today Media Group.

The event starts the morning of Tuesday, 6 November, with a keynote session addressing the business topic of managing through change. That session will be followed by one titled “An Uncertain Future in Asia,” in which panelists will discuss how China’s scrap materials restrictions are changing the nature of trade between recyclers in Europe and buyers in Asia.

Other sessions during the conference’s first day include:

• "Whose Material is it Anyway?," a look at tensions between commercial recyclers and government authorities as to who collects recyclables from households and small businesses;
• "Let’s Talk About Quality," where a panel of mill buyers and recovered fiber shippers will engage in a likely spirited discussion on the state of Europe’s recovered fiber quality; and
• "Inland Journeys and Export Options," which will offer updates on the existing challenges and potential solutions available in Europe’s freight sector.

The second day of the conference, Wednesday, 7 November, will open with an examination of how environmental concerns have cast a spotlight on plastics and irresponsible disposal outcomes. Panelists will discuss how this could affect the future of plastic and paperboard packaging.

Other Wednesday sessions include: “Making Sustainability Great Again: Backing up the Promises,” which will look at the perceived disconnects between brand owner sustainability pledges and the ability of recyclers and manufacturers to meet those goals; and “Follow the Money,” a series of presentations on the growing presence of mergers, acquisitions and investment group funding in Europe’s recycling sector.

More information on the Prague conference, including how to register, can be found on the event website.

About Recycling Today

The recycling industry is responsible for collecting processing and marketing billions of dollars-worth of metals, paper, plastics and other recovered materials. Through Recycling Today and Recycling Today Global Edition, market directories, and industry conferences, GIE serves the scrap and recycling industry in North America and globally.

About GIE Media, Inc.

GIE Media, based in Valley View, Ohio, was founded in 1980 and has grown over 36 years into a leading marketing and communications business-to-business media company serving 17 industries -- including the recycling industry through the publications Recycling Today, Waste Today, and Construction Demolition and Recycling. The company goal of Group Interest Enterprises is to publish the highest quality business magazines, websites, e-newsletters, conferences, reference books and other forms of business media in growth industries, with a quality standard based upon editorial value and market leadership. The company employs nearly 100 editors, publishers, sales representatives, marketers and other professionals.