Thanks to a record entry this year, more than 70 finalists across 14 categories have been shortlisted for the Plastics Industry Awards 2023 awards. The winners will be announced at a glamorous, black tie gala evening with live entertainment at the Intercontinental London Park Lane on Friday 17th November.
Celebrating their 22nd anniversary in 2023, the Plastics Industry Awards recognise the many 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 in the UK and Ireland.
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.
The sustainable use of plastics is a core consideration for the judging of all awards, and no less than 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 highly coveted 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, is particularly hotly contested this year, with no less than eight submissions shortlisted. 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 prestigious 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, which serves the area around Coventry, Rugby and Warwick. The casino winner’s prize is a luxury dining experience at The Shard in London.
The awards also enjoy the support of multiple 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 (J85 in Hall 4). Tickets include a champagne reception, four course dinner with wine, awards presentation, after-dinner entertainment and charity casino. More information and online table bookings: https://plasticsawards.com/plasticsindustryawards2023/en/page/book-now
Plastics Industry Awards 2023 Finalists:
Apprentice or Trainee Award
Leah Ebbs, OGM
Cody Etchells, Complexa HPE
Youssef Hafid, Pentagon Plastics
Nathan Hensley, Reliance Worldwide Corporation
Rebekah Parsons – Tex Plastics, Sierra 57 Consult
Benjamin Smith, Berry Norwich
Best Business Initiative
Big Bear Plastic Products
IPL Global
Matrix Plastics
MGS Technical Plastics
Sierra 57 Consult
WHS Plastics
Best Product Design
Boople, Kenneth Thornton
JFC-IPL 97% Recycled Vertical Farming Tray, IPL Global
Holewise Medium Cover, FSW Design
Hoover HL5 Upright vacuum cleaner, Smallfry Industrial Design
Link Vent 4000, Glazpart
Best Recycled Plastic Product
gomi speaker, gomi
KI Postura+ 50% Recycled Chair, IPL Global
JFC-IPL 97% Recycled Vertical Farming Tray, IPL Global
iDry, Distrupol
ReZorce® Circular Packaging, Zotefoams
SubTerra, Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation
Best Technology Application
Ampacet
Kabel.Consult.Ing
Microban
Greenback Recycling Technologies
Best Training & Development Programme
Jaguar Land Rover with ENGEL UK, Resinex, Sumitomo Demag and WHS Plastics
MGS Technical Plastics
Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec and Sierra 57 Consult
Talisman Plastics and Sierra 57 Consult
Materials Innovation Award
Ampacet
Denimolite
Nordic Plast
Processor Award
MGS Technical Plastics
OGM
Pentagon Plastics
Plastek UK
Polystar Plastics
Rising Star
Rowan Fletcher, IPL Global
Daniel Kelk, Plastek UK
Luke Parsons, Summit Systems
Luke Brown MSc, IPL Global
Supplier Partnership – Ancillary Machinery
Boddingtons, InTouch
Plastech Solutions, Corona Packaging
Summit Systems, Advanced Plastics
TH Plastics, Harwin
Supplier Partnership – Prime Machinery
ARBURG, Hymid
Bole Machinery UK, Wykamol
ENGEL UK, Sanko Gosei
ENGEL UK, WHS Plastics
KraussMaffei UK, Matrix Plastics
STV Machinery, Fenton Precision Engineering
UK Extrusion, Berry bpi Bromborough
UK Extrusion, Elite Plastics
Supplier Partnership – Toolmaker
Ad-Vance Engineering, Plastics 2000 (P2K)
Adreco Plastics, VENTETE
Andel Plastics, No Fuss Fill
Plastech Solutions, Corona Packaging
Sustainability Initiative of the Year
Adreco Plastics and CURIO Group
Elite Plastics
Greenback Recycling Technologies
Inoplas Technology
Matrix Plastics
Peerless Plastics & Coatings
Polystar Plastics
Unsung Hero Award
Sally Bailey, Common Sense PR
Shaine Gill-Ohrt, Skymark Packaging International
Danielle Harkness, Plastek UK
Jenny Mackay, IPL Global
Carla Read, Summit Systems
Edwin Simmonds, Plasticom Group