FALL 2021 ISSUE

PLASTIC
AND
SPORTS
Whatever the game,
APPRENTICESHIP PROMOTES
MANUFACTURING CAREERS

GREAT NEWS FROM EUROPE

17
28
plastic is a player. CONVERSATION WITH
CONGRESSWOMAN
HALEY STEVENS
34
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY
WILL COME.
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employer brand among active and passive job seekers is simple. Our Featured

Employer Advertising and Digital Job Videos are your time to shine — providing

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jobs.plasticsindustry.org
 NOV EM B ER 3–5, 2 02 1
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providing critical insight into current legislative attacks, materials supply
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table of contents

06 GUEST CONTRIBUTOR:
THE TRUTH ABOUT
PLASTICS

08 2021 PLASTICS HALL

OF FAME HONOREES

24 ARKEMA FOR “MOST

VALUABLE POLYMER”

28 A WARM WELCOME
FROM OUR FRIENDS
IN EUROPE

42 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

43

12
CLASSIC PLASTIC:
FRISBEE-LOVERS
ARE INNOVATORS

Cover Story: Plastic and Sports

it isn’t much of a stretch to say that the world of
contemporary sports couldn’t exist without plastic

17 34

Bridging the Skilled Labor Gap A Member of Congress Who Understands

BASF is using apprenticeship opportunities to reach
women and other underrepresented groups.
Our Industry
At our 2021 Spring Meeting, PLASTICS’ members had the pleasure of hearing
from Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-Michigan).
 a letter from our CEO

If you enjoy sports as much as I

do, you’re incredibly happy to see Editorial Staff
athletes back out there, competing Associate Director, Communications
Jim Moore
with fans cheering them on. It’s
about time. Senior Manager, Brand & Creative
Mark Winchester

In this issue of PLASTICS

Magazine, we look at how
Executive Staff
essential plastics are to President & Chief Executive Officer
contemporary sports; that includes Tony Radoszewski

benefits for both players and fans. We Chief Financial Officer

also have a Q&A on specific plastics Wayne R. Popham

Arkema provides to the world of sports. Vice President, Government Affairs

Matt Seaholm
Keeping with the sports theme, we have a feature on a BASF Vice President, Industry Relations & Member
apprenticeship program that is something of a farm team for Engagement
filling skilled-labor jobs. In addition to scouting BASF rookie Glenn Anderson

talent, we’re saluting industry all-stars by introducing the 2021 Chief Economist
Plastics Hall of Fame Inductees. Perc Pineda, Ph.D.

While this started as a sports issue, it quickly turned into a

celebration of the unique talents of women, as well. Our guest
contributor insights come from Terry Connell of Teknor Apex,
our Arkema conversation is with engineer Cecile Bonnet, and
the BASF story features a remarkable young woman in the
apprenticeship program.

We also have the privilege of sharing a conversation

our VP of Government Affairs, Matt Seaholm, had with
U.S. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a great supporter of
manufacturing.

Telling the stories of our industry, especially our members, is Have a great story to tell? Share
what this magazine is all about. Don’t forget to keep us up to it with us at
date on the news at your company. magazine@plasticsindustry.org
©2021 PLASTICS
1425 K Street, NW, Suite 500
Washington DC 20005
(202) 974–5200
plasticsindustry.org
npe.org
Tony Radoszewski
President & Chief Executive Officer

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 5  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

guest contributor
The Truth About Plastic
Needs to Be Heard
With the negative perception in the
world about the plastics industry, it’s
an uphill battle to sway the minds of
those who can’t see the benefits of our
industry.
People aren't blogging about plastics
keeping their kids healthy and safe,
or having conversations about how
plastics are changing technology for
the better. They're talking about plastic
bag bans, BPA and phthalates.
Plastic is the eighth largest industry in
the country, but even though we have
a LOT of employees who can help
6  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
counter many of the “plastics are bad”
myths, it can be difficult to argue with
naysayers without sounding overly
defensive. Still, we should recognize
that ALL of us are ambassadors for
the industry.
Of course, being an ambassador for
plastic is no small effort. When I start
typing “plastics” into Google, the
first suggested link is “Plastics in the
Ocean,” which brings up an image of
a green sea turtle entangled in plastic
waste. We are, as the saying goes, up
against it.
I believe the key to being a good
ambassador is knowledge—with
knowledge comes a comfort level that
lets us steer conversations towards the
truth about plastics.
Earlier this year, I went to ThisIsPlastics.
com to look for information, resources
and materials that I could potentially
use to enlighten our employees on the
benefits of plastics and was amazed
to see how much the website has
changed since my last visit. Everything
I needed to roll out my campaign was
right there. Where the site once had
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 Our goal should be to advertise
and promote this kind of good
news about plastics so that these
are the stories that are trending

Terry Connell
Senior EHS Manager, Teknor Apex

a lot of overly technical information, it
now has plainspoken content that tells
the real story of plastics.
Those of us in the industry simply must
drive the conversation about plastics.
We need to talk with our friends, family
and anyone who will listen about how
important plastics are in our everyday
lives. We need to share facts, in simple
terms, using real world examples.
For instance, people often say, “The
plastics industry has offered no
meaningful solutions and alternatives to
solve the issue of plastic waste.” Actually,
our industry has dedicated billions of
dollars to fund R&D with the goal of
eliminating plastic waste. Not only are
we funding recycling programs, we
support legislation like the Recover the
Economic Opportunities and Value of
Expanding Recycling (RECOVER) Act
to allocate federal grants to improve
recycling programs and infrastructure.
Do your employees know what goes
into ensuring a plastic water bottle is
safe to drink from? And that plastic
bottles use 55% less energy than glass
bottles? Or that it takes more water to
make a paper cup than a foam cup?
Or that the lighter weight of plastics
reduces transportation costs and
greenhouse gas emissions? Or how
single-use plastics used in hospitals
for storing blood and delivering IV
solutions keeps us all safe? During
the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak in West
Africa, PVC was successfully used as a
barrier material against highly infectious
bodily fluids.
Those statistics and facts weren’t just
sitting in my head, but they were only
a few clicks away on the ThisIsPlastics.
com “Resources” page. Our goal should
be to advertise and promote this kind of
good news about plastics so that these
are the stories that are trending. That’s
how we get the search engines to pick
up the positives of plastics!
PLASTICS, in partnership with FTI
Consulting, has turned ThisIsPlastics.
com into an incredible tool for
educating the public about plastics. It’s
one more reason why I’m glad to be a
PLASTICS member. With the resources,
information, connections and ideas I get
from PLASTICS, sometimes it feels like
the organization can read my mind!
As Chair of the EHS+ Committee, I
would be remiss if I didn’t include a plug
for this group! The Committee is made
up of us, for us—plastics producers,
compounders, processors, equipment
suppliers, distributors, recyclers, etc. I’ve
found the group to be very open, and
if you have a question or issue that you
need help with, all you need to do is
bring it up. Chances are someone has
already looked into the issue or has
the same needs. Several committee
members have stated that their senior
management holds no monopoly
on worker safety, product safety or
environmental stewardship, and have
willingly shared their best practices, my
company included. It’s such a win-win
for our industry. We do the right thing
and encourage others to do the same.
With tools and resources like
ThisIsPlastics.com, the process of
sharing and doing the right thing is that
much easier!

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 7  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

plastics then and now

FLiP
TO THE FUTURE
8  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 2021
Plastics
Hall of
Fame
Honorees
Any team is only as good as its roster, and
we in the plastics industry have boasted a
sensational line-up over the years. In 1973,
the Plastics Hall of Fame was launched to
celebrate and commemorate the careers
of people who have made exceptional
contributions to the industry. This year, the
HOF welcomes its 31st class of inductees.
Here’s your chance to meet them.

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 9  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021


CONGRATULATIONS TO
OUR HONOREES!
MAYUMI KOTANI
President of Yushin Precision
Equipment Co. Ltd., she played a
large role in starting Yushin and
building it into a leading robotics
company.
JOSEPH PRISCHAK
Founder of Plastek Group he
is also known as the father of
America’s largest undergraduate
plastics program at Penn State
Erie.
10  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
DONALD PAULSON
This respected inventor and
plastics educator is founder of
Paulson Training Programs Inc.
SURESH SHAH
He led the design and
development of the automotive
SuperPlug, an all-plastic door
inner module that replaced 50
metal pieces.
ULRICH
REIFENHÄUSER
He is recognized for his
industry leadership and career
at the family company, where
he started in the extruder
construction department at
age 16.
WYLIE ROYCE
This industry speaker, author,
patent holder and executive
with both Royce Global and
Royce International is also a past
chair of the PLASTICS Board
of Directors.
YOSHIHARU INABA
Chairman of Fanuc Corp. and
holder of more than 110 design
patents, He led the way in the
development of electrified
injection molding.
SALVATORE MONTE
President/co-owner of
Kenrich Petrochemicals Inc.,
he is also a patent-holder and
respected technical author.
VINCE WITHERUP
He went from salesman to
executive vice president
at Conair Group and was
recognized by our association
in 2000 as International
Businessperson of the Year.
PETER NEUMANN
He led Engel Holding GmbH
through an innovative period
during which the company went
from 76 million Euros in sales to
more than 1.3 billion.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 Dream of making the finals but struggle to make
the playoffs? Vive knows what it takes. Trust the
team from the city of champions with your next
marketing move.

MarketingforManufacturers.com

PLASTICS
Connects
The new Plastics Industry Association mobile app
allows you to stay connected to the plastics industry
from anywhere. Download the app today and
explore!

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 11  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

cover story

PLASTIC
AND
SPORTS
12  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 From helmets to hockey sticks,
plastic is a name in every game.
H
ave you ever seen an old
football movie? No, not like
The Blind Side. Older. And
Jerry Maguire is NOT a football
movie. It’s a rom-com. Go back further.
Semi-Tough and North Dallas Forty are
good guesses, but let’s go all the way back
to Knute Rockne, All American. The 1940
movie that earned future-president Ronald
Reagan the nickname, “Gipper.”
The story starts in the 1900s, and all of
the football players are wearing leather
helmets. No chin straps. No face guards.
Just a thick layer of hardened leather and
some padding. They were a big step up
from the flannel helmets players wore in
the early 1890s, but still.
Can you imagine taking a hit from a
21st century NFL lineman wearing what
amounts to a sturdy leather work boot on
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
your head? The hits from early 20th century
linemen were no picnic, either, which is
why, during the 1940s, the sport switched
to a material that had revolutionized other
parts of life in America.
You guessed it. Plastic. It absorbed impact
better, provided more room for padding
and could be worn much more comfortably.
Innovations continued over the decades
and continue today, as manufacturers
have become increasingly aware of the
consequences of concussions to the game
of football.
Football is just one example. Just about
anywhere you see sports being played,
you’ll find plastic. In fact, it isn’t much of
a stretch to say that the world of contem-
porary sports couldn’t exist without
plastic. Let’s just look at the Big 4: football,
baseball, basketball, and hockey.
13  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
FOOTBALL
From the hard plastics and soft foam of shoulder pads and
kneepads, to the plastic facemasks on their plastic helmets, to the
flexible and lightweight plastics in their cleats, a contemporary
football player is a walking billboard for the benefits of plastics.
BASKETBALL
Plastic may not be as obvious on a basketball court, but just take a
look at the floor during any basketball game. In addition to plastic-
based coating on the floor, all those high-dollar athletic shoes
rely heavily on plastic. You also have kneepads elbow-pads and
protective goggles used in the game.
14  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
BASEBALL
Less plastic than football, but it’s still crucial., You’ve got batting
helmets, cleats and everything catchers need to wear: masks, chest
and throat protectors, shin guards and athletic cups. If you want,
you can probably even count those fancy outfielder sunglasses.
HOCKEY
There’s a ton of plastic on the ice at a hockey game: helmets,
shoulder pads, chest protectors, elbow pads, mouth guards,
protective gloves, athletic cups, shin pads, neck guards, goalie
masks and, of course, hockey sticks. All of that equipment relies
on plastic.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 PLASTIC.
PLASTIC, EVERYWHERE!
From safety gear and equipment to apparel and footwear,
plastics have changed sports by making these products lighter,
stronger, and more flexible. Hard plastic compounds, like
polycarbonate, can be found throughout safety gear, including
helmets, face shields, mouth guards, pads, and shin guards.
Softer plastic foams, like polypropylene and ethylene-vinyl
acetate, are used to reduce impact, reverberations, and the
weight of such gear.

That’s right—lightweighting isn’t just for cars and trucks!

Polyester, nylon, and spandex are used to produce more

comfortable, stretchy, and durable athletic clothing,
including jerseys, swimsuits, and specialized competition
gear—streamlining sportswear to add a competitive edge.
Polyurethane, which repels water and allows moisture to
quickly evaporate, and ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), which provides
lightweight cushioning for insole protection, are used in a range
of footwear from hiking boots to track spikes.

The plastics composite used in tennis rackets reduces shock

vibration by 45%, which gives players at all levels more
maneuverability.

Golf balls, which started out as wood and then evolved to fairly
expensive leather sacks filled with cow hair, are today made
of rubber with a plastic coating, giving them performance and
affordability.

Polyurethane is used to glue seams on game balls and is vital

to ensuring durability. Referee whistles, goal posts, backboards,
hoop nets, and corner flags are also made with plastic polymers.

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 15  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

Originally released in 1990 this updated version of the Nike Air Max 90 uses Nike's Hyperfuse technology to create a lightweight shoe that uses heat bonded
mesh to create the shoe's structure."
PLASTICS ARE A FAN FAVORITE
Plastic is every bit as important off the field as on the field
(or court, or ice, et cetera). From the plastic cup that holds a
fan’s beverage of choice, to PET-bottled water, to ice cream
containers, to molded plastic seats that provide a lot more
comfort than the old-style wooden ones, plastic is an important
part of every fan’s game-day experience. And let's not forget
safety netting, clear safety shields, and all the plastics involved
in creating the incredible jumbo-screen experiences available
at stadiums today.
Plastics also make it easier for fans to enjoy events because
they’re key to stadium infrastructure and playing surfaces.
Artificial grass turf is made with a number of plastic compounds,
including polyethylene, cutting down on water usage and
maintenance costs. It also boosts athletic performance by
16  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
allowing more player agility than natural grass does, giving fans
a more exciting game. And because contemporary artificial turf
has a layer known as “infill” the risk of player injury is lessened,
keeping star players healthy and available to keep the ticket-
buying public coming back
As for stadium infrastructure, much of the flooring and roofing
in contemporary stadiums uses low-conductivity, energy-saving
polyvinyl chloride (PVC). You may just see it on the court at
a tennis match, as well, in the form of acrylic coating on the
playing surface.
Plastics also reduce energy and water use and provide
end-of-life options for recycled plastics materials, ensuring that
today’s stadiums are more efficient and environmentally friendly
than ever. When you buy a ticket to a sporting event, think of
it as also supporting the sports community’s contributions to
achieving a circular economy.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 Madison DeMay, BASF Apprentice

BRIDGING
THE SKILLED
LABOR GAP
Apprenticeship opportunities promote manufacturing careers
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 17  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
 The concept of apprenticeship is just about as old as the idea
of working for a living. It’s a tried-and-true way of handing
on trades and skills to new generations and replenishing the
supply of skilled workers in various fields. Given our society’s
focus on college degrees and the white-collar dreams of
parents for their children, apprenticeship isn’t as widely
practiced as it once was, but manufacturers facing a signif-
icant shortage in skilled labor are reviving the concept as
a solution.

Case in point: BASF. In a bold move to develop skilled labor

and build a diverse work force, the company has moved
quickly to create and implement a generous Apprenticeship
Development Program that pays new hires a full-time wage
while they train on-the-job three days a week and go to school
Johnathan Weatherly, BASF vice president and executive sponsor of the
North American Apprenticeship Program
for a Process Technology certificate two days a week.

Depending on the complexity of the technology for which they

are training, the program can be either six months or sixteen
months. BASF also provides apprentices with full benefits and
foots the entire bill for their schooling.

After a COVID-caused delay in 2020, the program began

this year at BASF facilities in Wyandotte, Michigan and
Freeport, Texas. The facilities are associated with the Process
Technology programs at Henry Ford College and Brazosport
College, respectively.

Other facilities currently in the program are Seneca and

Converse in South Carolina (TriCounty Community College/
Spartanburg College) and Hannibal, Missouri, which is offering
on-the-job training without a college component. By the end
of 2021, BASF plans to have thirty apprentices working at a
Susan Emmerich, Project Implementation Manager

18  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 total of five North America sites with an additional 10 sites coming Marika Diamond, Head of Public Relations and Communications
onboard in early 2022. for BASF’s Wyandotte, Michigan, facility, received the unusual
assignment of trading her PR hat for an HR hat, to help with an
“We have a critical shortage of talent in the manufacturing space
innovative approach that would reach beyond the traditional male
and we’re all competing for the same talent pool, said Johnathan
audience for manufacturing jobs.
Weatherly, BASF vice president and executive sponsor of the North
American Apprenticeship Program. “This is a win-win, where we “The goal with our messaging is to meet people where they are,”
can give people knowledge, train them and give ourselves a critical said Diamond, “and not wait for them to find our job postings on
supply of talent.” their own.” That direction led Diamond, a member of the Michigan
PR community, to contact Jim Kasuba, a reporter at Southeast
Susan Emmerich, Project Implementation Manager for the program,
Michigan’s News-Herald about doing an article on the program.
further emphasizes the value of starting people out from Square One
The article went viral online, taking the apprenticeship program
with their training. “An apprenticeship program lets us train people
message far and wide throughout the state.
in our values,” she said. “We can develop these team members with
the BASF focus on safety and continuous improvement.” “I have a large network throughout Michigan,” said Diamond,
“friends and colleagues who helped by putting it on their social
That kind of values-based training goes a long way, according to
media channels. One of our executives called to tell me my name
Weatherly. “Over the past several years, we’ve entered into an inter-
linked with the news article popped up in his social feed!”
dependent safety culture of looking out for one another,” he said.
“What started out in safety had expanded to a culture of information That news article was just one of several innovative efforts to
sharing and mutual support in which we help one another do our expand the program’s reach.
jobs better.” Apprentices are immersed in that culture from Day One.
“We have tremendous communications people working together on
COMMUNICATION INNOVATION a concerted strategy,” said Susan Emmerich. “In addition to social
media outreach, we’ve done a focused campaign through Indeed.
Already working on a 2030 goal of increasing the presence of com, we’re working with non-profits that prepare people to enter
women in leadership roles to 30% by 2030, BASF is now turning the work force, we’re approaching veterans through Hiring Heroes,
its attention toward interesting women in their hourly, technical and making use of the National Association of Manufacturers
career opportunities, as well. Such jobs have, for various reasons, Creators Wanted online platform.”
long been seen as men-only territory. To reach that new intended
audience, the company decided to look outside the box of tradi- BASF is also actively courting college and high school students, to
tional hiring methods. let them know that manufacturing is a viable career opportunity.

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 19  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

 “I think one of the greatest mistakes we ever made as a country
was to have gone away from vocational education and to force
everyone into a college track,” said Emmerich. “When I was a
college professor, over 50% of our freshmen often didn’t make it
through freshman year because that wasn’t what they wanted to
do. They wanted to work with their hands. They had mechanical
minds. They would have preferred something other than book
learning, but their parents insisted on college.”

Grassroots promotion efforts have paid off in a big way. Of the

people currently in the program, 60% are women and 48% from
various communities that have been underrepresented in the
industry. And applicants are coming from all walks of life.

“The majority of applicants are early-career people, but some have

completely changed industries to join us,” said Weatherly. “Some
went from waiting tables directly into manufacturing, so we’ve
seen the full gamut.”

TRAINING IS KEY
BASF strongly emphasizes that there is no need for prior knowledge
of manufacturing in order to become part of the apprenticeship
program. “People don’t need a manufacturing background,” said
Emmerich, many of our participants don’t have one.”

“When you look at the barriers that cause someone to say ‘the
manufacturing industry is not for me,’” said Weatherly, “one of those
is not having the necessary technical training. An apprenticeship
program really helps overcome that.”

Between on-the-job training and their Process Technology studies,

Marika Diamond, Head of Public Relations and Communications for BASF’s BASF apprentices learn everything they need to know to fill a
Wyandotte, Michigan, facility well-paying position in a very rewarding field. And for BASF, it
means being sure the workers they produce can perform at a level

“The goal with our

the company can count on.

“Our apprentices learn more than just pushing buttons and how

messaging is to meet
the equipment works,” said Emmerich. “They also learn why the
equipment works the way it does and exactly why things need to
be done in a certain way. That ‘why’ component is often left out in

people where they

training programs.” Emmerich went on to say the in-depth nature of
BASF training prevents ineffective operation of equipment that can
lead to employee injury, lost productivity, and equipment damage.

are and not wait for In addition to providing well-rounded knowledge, the program is
also dispelling myths and misconceptions. “There is a perception
that this is a good-old-boys club. That is not who we are at

them to find our job BASF,” Weatherly said. There are also outdated perceptions about
on-the-job quality of life in manufacturing. Pointing out that the
U.S. is no longer in the often dirty and dangerous early days of the

postings on their Industrial Revolution, Weatherly added, “We have a lot of tools at
our fingertips that do heavy work for us and help us work smarter

own.”
rather than harder. The physical labor piece isn’t as difficult as it
might have been in the past.”

20  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
When she first learned about the BASF apprenticeship program,
Madison DeMay, 22 years old, was working a Chinese restaurant
job she’d had since high school. “I had done some general studies
through a community college, but it just really wasn’t for me,” she
said. “When I saw the BASF article in the News-Herald, I thought
the program sounded interesting and that it was something I could
see myself doing.” She added that she was also impressed by
BASF’s focus on empowering women and on diversity, in general.
Three days a week, DeMay is at BASF’s Wyandotte facility, getting
to know the manufacturing industry from the most technical to the
most mundane aspects. “At the plant, we get with a mentor and
shadow them, working with them on what they’re doing for the
day,” she said. “We can be watching over the extruders, packing
materials for shipping, cleaning, loading and unloading trucks,
whatever happens to be going on.”
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
On the other two days, she is in Process Technology classes
at Henry Ford College, where she says they do a great job of
providing knowledge that translates well to life at the plant. “You
get to go to school and do hands-on training, which is big for me,”
DeMay said, “because I like to do something if I’m learning.”
In addition to looking forward to a career with BASF, DeMay is
also excited about being one of the first to go through the appren-
ticeship program and the opportunities that will give her to help
others in the future. She wants other young women to know, “Just
because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you can’t do it. BASF offers
a ton of resources to help you achieve anything you want. This
is a great opportunity to learn and get your foot in the door of a
company that believes in diversity.”
21  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
 ARE CREATED TODAY
Innovation thrives on people with passion.
Let bigger opportunities find you. Testimonial
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Future “Being a part of FLiP allows me to not only
Leaders in Plastics (FLiP) Committee is devoted to connect with others and begin shaping the
supporting and encouraging the next generation of future of PLASTICS, but the opportunity
plastics leaders who will play a critical role in the to learn about the entire plastics industry
innovation, technology and future of the plastics industry. supply chain and how we,
To engage, develop and retain future industry leaders, as young leaders, can affect
PLASTICS is focused on leadership development, its direction.”
mentoring programs and relationship building
Beth Wetmore Trenor,
opportunities for professionals under 40 years old.
Advanced Regulatory
Improving the perception of plastics and developing a Specialist,
strong workforce begins with cultivating future leaders Milliken & Co.
who will shape our success.

VISIT PLASTICSINDUSTRY.ORG/FLIP TO LEARN MORE.

22  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 Free Executive
Summaries and
White Papers
are available to
download now.

Industry Economics
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) is
your go-to source for leading industry data and
market intelligence. Our research and reports help

Market Intelligence
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know on the state of the plastics industry. Make
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Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) PLASTICSINDUSTRY.ORG/DATA
23  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
PLASTICS and you

PUTTING
PLASTICS IN
THE GAME
In the world of MVPs, Arkema has several contenders for “Most Valuable Polymer.”

24  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 You don’t have to look far into the
membership roster at PLASTICS to find
connections to the world of sports. You
can’t even get past “A.” As an example of
the incredible contributions the plastics
industry makes to both athletes and
fans, we asked a few questions of Cecile
Bonnet, Arkema’s Business Development
Engineer for Sports Equipment, Optics,
and Textiles.

Cecile Bonnet
Business Development Engineer – Sports
Equipment, Optics, and Textiles, Arkema

What materials does Arkema provide to sporting to manufacture tough, lightweight and fully transparent articles,
goods manufacturers? such as high-performance sports goggles.

Arkema is well known in the sports industry for Pebax®—a
thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The Pebax® elastomer range
was recently updated with innovations such as Pebax® Rnew,
the first bio-based TPE coming from castor beans, and
transparent Pebax® Clear resin, which is expanding design
and application possibilities. We also offer a broad range
of other materials such as Rilsan® PA11 and Rilsan® Clear
bio-sourced polyamide.
What is the essential benefit of each of these
materials?
Pebax® TPE is versatile and 20% lighter than conventional
elastomers. It has a unique combination of low weight,
elasticity, comfort, toughness and flexibility. It is also unaffected
by very low temperatures which makes it an ideal material
for any cold environment. Pebax® Rnew combines high
performance with the advantages that come from being a
bio-based material. Rilsan® bio-sourced polyamide 11 (Rilsan®
PA11) is ideal for bicycle saddles, ensuring greater comfort for
cyclists thanks to its light weight and fatigue strength. It can
also be found in the composition of tennis racket bumpers.
Rilsan® Clear is a transparent and biosourced polyamide used
Does Arkema play a role in the world of
athletic shoes?
Absolutely. Pebax® elastomer, the market's highest-performing
elastomer, is used for athletic shoe soles. Major brands like
Puma, The North Face, and Mizuno have adopted Pebax® for
their designs of high-performance soles for soccer and rugby
shoes, running and tennis shoes, even hiking boots. Pebax®
TPE is not only used as an outsole but also as a squishy
foam midsole. Indeed Pebax® elastomers offer the best foam
performance; extreme light weighting while retaining resilience
and energy return which makes a real difference for the
athletes when they run. Pebax® is also used in the manufacture
of ski boot shells for major brands like Scarpa, Dynafit, Scott
and Fisher.
Where else, besides player equipment and apparel,
might Arkema products be found at sporting
events?
Fans might be wearing sunglasses made of Rilsan® Clear.
Stadiums might be covered with Kynar 500® PVDF resin-based
metal coatings that provide protection against weathering,
aging and pollution as well as contain wires and cables made

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 25  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

of a wide range of resin grades. Also,
through our development of polymers
and components specifically designed
for lithium-ion polymer batteries, the
Arkema group is providing energy storage
solutions for smart phones as well as
solutions for electric vehicles for people
commuting to sporting events. Elsewhere
in the sports and leisure world, Arkema
products can also be found in chairs and
hammocks made with Rilsan® PA11 textile.
What is something about plastics
and sports people may find
especially interesting or even
surprising?
Pebax® Rnew® materials are made from the
oil of the castor bean, grown in the Gujarat
region of India. The beans are crushed to
produce castor oil and the oil is further
refined to produce the primary bio-based
raw material in the polymer. As a leader
in high-performance bio-based polymers
and castor oil derivatives, Arkema is
committed to improving sustainability
all along the castor supply chain. We are
proud to partner with BASF, Jayant-Agro
Organics, and Solidaridad as founding
members of the Pragati project to support
castor bean farmers and help in ensuring
a sustainable castor bean crop [pragati is
a Hindi word for “progress”] and we are
pleased to see so many farmers and their
families embrace our educational program.
Every purchase of shoes or boots powered
by Pebax® Rnew® materials helps the
farmers and their families sustain a better
life. These materials are not just specified
for their renewable origin but also for the
tremendous positive impact they make on
this social community.
What do you believe is important
for people to understand about the
value of plastics to sports?
Across the sporting world we can make a
positive difference by reducing the amount
of plastic and by reducing the carbon
footprint. Our Advanced Bio-Circular (ABC)
materials not only exhibit truly exceptional
mechanical performance but are also
bio-based and meet the circular economy.
Unlike traditional petroleum polymers,
26  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
Pebax® Rnew® polymers come from castor
beans, a sustainable, renewable crop that
does not compete with food and does
not cause deforestation. Pebax® Rnew®
polymers actually absorb atmospheric
CO2 during their growth cycle, thus greatly
reducing the climate change potential of
the resultant polymer.
Finally, if all sport brands and other
industries would switch from conventional
TPE/TPU materials to Arkema ABC
materials, the sport industry would reduce
20% of its plastic consumption due to the
lightweight gain.
What’s next for Arkema
and circularity?
Pro-Soccer,
We actually strengthened our commitment
to the circular economy recently by
acquiring Agiplast, a leader in the
Pro-Women
regeneration of high-performance
polymers. Arkema will be able to offer a full
service to customers in terms of materials
circularity, addressing growing market Arkema is associated
expectations in this field. This project,
which contributes to the sustainable
with the FIFA Women’s
development of the polymer industry, is World Cup France 2019™
perfectly in line with Arkema’s sustainable
growth strategy. to support women’s
to be clear about real people providing for engagement in soccer.
their families and communities with local
61% of football players
jobs in the plastics industry, and we need
to make sure decision-makers know the during the competition
true, life-improving and even life-saving
realities of plastics.
had shoes with Pebax®
Each and every member can, and is elastomer in it. For the
encouraged to, become part of that effort. 2019-2020 season of
Don’t be afraid to express your passion for
the D1 Arkema [the
plastics; the naysayers have it all wrong
and it is up to all of us in the industry to
highest division of
correct perceptions. As Matt Seaholm
says, in summing up the importance women's football in
of member involvement, “The most
effective and powerful tool we have is our
France, sponsored by
members advocating for the industry. Your Arkema], 59% of the
participation is critical to any success that
we have. We can’t do it without you.” players were equipped
with shoes containing the
Pebax® elastomer.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
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Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 27  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

 GREAT NEWS F
Members gave a PLASTICS de
28  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
FROM EUROPE
delegation a warm welcome.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 29  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
A
few months ago,
European travel
restrictions
loosened up
allowing a team
from PLASTICS to head over to the
continent and visit some member
companies. It was the first in a series
of regional visits intended to touch
base in the wake of the pandemic
and the cancellation of NPE2021. The
decision to start in Europe, rather than
at home in the U.S., was based on
uncertainty about how long the travel
window would remain open should a
COVID-19 uptick occur.

The team goals were to discuss the decision to cancel

NPE2021, provide an update on financial matters
surrounding that decision, and talk about plans for the
future. In the course of two weeks, Tony Radoszewski,
PLASTICS President & CEO, Glenn Anderson, PLASTICS
Vice President for Industry Relations & Member
Engagement, and Tad McGwire, Vice Chairman of
PLASTICS and Chairman of NPE2021, visited members in
Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland.

Also in attendance, and instrumental in scheduling the tour,

was Gunther Hoyt, member of the Plastics Hall of Fame
and past NPE Chairman. Emphasizing the importance
of NPE to the agenda, Gunther ’s presence brought
the number of NPE Chairmen at the table to three: Tad
(NPE2021), Glenn (NPE2018), Gunther (NPE2003).

“When I started organizing the trip, it was immediately

met with great excitement,” said Hoyt. “People were
really happy to schedule us in, and we were received with
tremendous courtesy and genuine good spirits. Everyone
was very, very happy that we made the effort to come over."

The trip consisted of visits to six injection molding

companies and 8 extrusion companies. The team came
away highly encouraged by European members’ support

30  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 for the NPE2021 decision, their understanding about the
way finances were being handled and, especially, their
positivity about the future.”

“This was a real planes, trains and automobiles whirlwind

of a tour,” said Radoszewski, “and we packed a lot of
learning into it. Our European partners are reinvesting
substantial amounts of money in their businesses and,
across the board, PLASTICS’ membership remains a key
part of their investment plan. We can look forward to a lot
of great collaboration.”

According to Anderson, all that European growth means

good things for our side of the Atlantic. He was particularly
impressed by the innovative technologies that will be
coming to market. “As an equipment guy,” he said, “I was
really impressed by the way these companies are listening
to downstream customers, designing with sustainability
and the use of recycled and innovative materials in mind.”

Echoing Radoszewski ’s gratitude for European

commitment to PLASTICS overall, McGwire added, “As
NPE chair, what I found gratifying was the support for
NPE. To a company, they were already excited about 2024.
Obviously, the North American market is critical to them.”

“When I started organizing the trip,

it was immediately met with great
excitement. People were really
happy to schedule us in, and we were
received with tremendous courtesy
and genuine good spirits. Everyone
was very, very happy that we made
the effort to come over."

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 31  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

32  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 More snapshots of PLASTICS adventure to Europe!

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 33  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021

talking about plastic

34  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 A CONVERSATION WITH
CONGRESSWOMAN
HALEY STEVENS
Meet a member of Congress who understands the importance
of plastics.
At our 2021 Spring Meeting,
PLASTICS had the pleasure
of spending some time with
Congresswoman Haley Stevens
(D-Michigan). Prior to entering
Congress, she served as Chief
of Staff to the U.S. Auto Rescue
Task Force in the Obama
Administration. She played a
key role in creating the Office
of Recovery for Automotive
Communities and Workers, as
well as the White House Office of wide-ranging conversation with
Manufacturing Policy. She has
also worked in a research lab
focused on the future of work in
the digital age.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
Coming from what she refers
to as “the Land of the Big Three”
automobile companies, and
because of her professional
manufacturing background,
Congresswoman Stevens
understands the value of
plastics throughout the
manufacturing sector, and the
importance of a reliable supply
chain. These are just a few of the
subjects she addressed during a
Matt Seaholm, PLASTICS' Vice
President of Government Affairs.
35  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
 Congresswoman
Haley Stevens
D-Michigan, 11th District
HOMETOWN
Rochester Hills, Michigan
EDUCATION
Bachelor’s in Political Science and
Philosophy and a Master’s in Social Policy
and Philosophy from American University.
ELECTIONS
2018, 2020
HOUSE COMMITTEES
Education & Labor
Subcommittees: Health, Employment, Labor
and Pensions; Workforce Protections
Science, Space & Technology
Subcommittee: Research &
Technology (Chair)
CAUCUSES
Manufacturing, Automotive, Auto Care,
Animal Protection, Youth Vaping Epidemic,
Global Investment in America, India,
American Sikh Congressional Caucus
(Vice Chair), Diabetes, Black Maternal
Health, Robotics, Chemistry, Boating,
Recycling (Co-chair).
36  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
Matt Seaholm: Before we jump into some plastics-related issues,
what have you got going on? What’s keeping you busy these days? I’m
guessing there’s no shortage.
Rep. Stevens: Well, today’s Monday, and I do Manufacturing Mondays.
I devote part of this day to going and meeting with companies, with
workforces. Learning what they produce, how they produce it, what
their workforce needs are and what other federal needs they might
have. So, when I go back to Washington, I can leave with that in my
pocket.
Another thing is related to some of what we’re going to talk about today.
As Chair of the House Subcommittee on Research and Technology, I’ve
just come out of a major undertaking, chairing hearings regarding a
bill about research funding for the National Science Foundation. You
didn’t hear this in the news, and I’ll tell you why. It’s because something
good happened. All the Democrats and all the Republicans voted
“Aye,” passing that bill through the committee. Democrats speaking on
behalf of Republican amendments, Republicans speaking on behalf
of Democrat amendments. And it’s because we know we want to be
competitive.
Our scientific research enterprise is going to be a big part of our overall
competitiveness in economic growth opportunities as a country. That
was about a month’s work. I’ve chaired about thirty hearings and
attended countless stakeholder meetings leading up to that place.
Matt: As an association made up of manufacturers, I have to tell you
we have a lot of member companies struggling to find a capable and
qualified workforce right now. I’m wondering if you have some thoughts
on the state of manufacturing.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 Rep. Stevens: Let me just applaud your
member companies and your existing
workforce for getting through this last year,
even getting through the wackiness of the
last couple of decades we’ve had. It’s been
just a heck of a start to the 21st century, in
ways that have challenged us but also in
ways that have inspired and compelled
our innovation. Supply chain issues, supply
chain disruptions, cybersecurity threats. We
obviously just saw this take place with the
Colonial Pipeline attack, but we also saw this
play out during our pandemic.
I’m co-chairing, alongside our Majority
Whip, Jim Cl yburn, the Democratic
Manufacturing Task Force. We’re looking at
trade issues, environmental sustainability
and other opportunities for us to harness
American innovation in the proliferation
of our technological advancement and
development. We’re also leaning in on
workforce issues.
Your member companies are part of a subset
of employers that I like to dub, “legacy
workforce challenged.” It didn’t just come
about in the pandemic. Did the pandemic
exacerbate your skills gap? Absolutely.
Which is why at 9 p.m. at night on a Saturday,
I was writing the White House, telling them
I’ve never been more alarmed than I am right
now about our workforce shortages.
The conclusion I am reaching is that I think
we need to do a couple of things differently.
One, and this sounds soft, but I think it will
result in good actionable results. We need
to change our messaging. So often, we’re
talking about, “Jobs. Jobs. We’re going to
create jobs!” That would be great. Let’s create
jobs. But let’s also recognize that there are
a lot of job openings right now that need to
get filled. I just mentioned the manufacturing
Monday visit I took up in Highland, Michigan.
They’ve got forty positions open.
I’m very focused on what I call the Industrial
Infrastructure Corps. I think this is what we
need to create in order to compel workforce
action in this country. What we really need
to hardnose-work on is a recruitment effort
from the top. “We want you. We want you
to go into this job.” Some of you are smaller
companies. You’re midsize companies, which
is also a disadvantage. I’m here in the land of
the Big 3 with Ford, GM and Chrysler, which
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
"I’m thinking about everything and
anything I can. I want to continue with
the post-secondary community college
training programs, recruitment efforts,
workforce organizations, chambers, stuff
that we’re doing at the early stages. It’s
all really, important."
is lovely. But if you’re a small or midsize can’t operate if you don’t have the people.
company and you’re not a household name,
Matt: You’re Co-chair of the Recycling
that makes the marketing and recruitment
Caucus. Also, a few weeks ago, you
challenge even more difficult.
reintroduced bipartisan legislation known
If we can compel people to go into these as the Plastic Waste and Reduction and
jobs. If we can use federal resources to get Recycling Act. Before we get into specifics
people back to work if we need to, we should about the bill, can you tell us a little bit about
do it. Maybe that’s tuition assistance. Just the Recycling Caucus and some of the
like we would the Army. I’m looking at this conversations happening around plastics
as something of an Army Corps of Engineers. issues in the halls of Congress?
Because, by golly, and all of you are a part of
Rep. Stevens: It’s a real honor to co-chair
this, this supply chain is our precious jewel
the Recycling Caucus, working toward
right now. We all felt it and we know it. But
bipar tisan commonsense solutions
we have to get serious. We can’t be clinging
to continue harnessing our recycling
and stuck to the past. We need to look the
infrastructure in the United States, particularly
future in the face. We need to put our money
in how it relates to plastics.
where our mouth is.
The conversation surrounding plastics and
And just know that with Stevens in office
our overall recycling infrastructure is that for
here, I’m in the trenches with you on this.
too long we relied on foreign governments,
This keeps me awake at night. I’m thinking
foreign entities. Some of the ways we were
about everything and anything I can. I
approaching recycling weren’t even that
want to continue with the post-secondary
sustainable. Shipping the goods across
community college training programs,
the ocean. I saw this and said, “I’m in the
recruitment efforts, workforce organizations,
supply chain capital of the world over here in
chambers, stuff that we’re doing at the early
Michigan. Why would we not be harnessing
stages. It’s all really, important. But we need
the ability to develop this supply chain here
to seize hold of this moment, because I’m
and the utilization of new technologies?”
getting freaked out that too many companies
What are we missing here? What are we not
are taking too many dings and some of you
adopting at the new technology level that
37  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
would make us recycle better? Because we’ve sort of been doing
this the same way for a long time and not necessarily getting the
results we want to see.

Matt: As you went into it last session and now this session, what
are the goals of the bill and how do you see it fitting in with an
incredibly busy schedule in Congress this year?

The Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Act is a piece of

legislation I introduced last term in Congress, and reintroduced this
term alongside my Republican colleague, Congressman Anthony
Gonzalez from Ohio. It’s been such an honor and a privilege to work
alongside all of you from the Plastics Industry Association, too. No
good deed goes thanked, and no one’s really going to call you guys
and thank you. But I really want to thank you, because you are really
leading by example, and not because anyone has asked you to do
so.

There is economic power and opportunity in the circular economy.

There’s economic power and opportunity in investing in a more
wholistic way in our recycling infrastructure. And that’s what this
bill is trying to do, really harness the capability of our federal
government, bringing together an interagency task force, so to
speak. An interagency approach to writing a national plan for
recycling in America.

Also, working with our Department of Energy and some our more
innovation-forward agencies that are able to invest in technologies
for adoption, we can start to utilize and implement new approaches
to recycling in America. And then, we’re working with the National
Institute of Standards and Technologies [NIST] in terms of the
standards and applications for the standards that are going to come
in. I think we have over ten thousand that have come down from
various municipalities, doing things every which way. Consumers
We see so many different types of bills popping up at a state level,
are confused. Our small local governments are saddled and burdened
looking at some of this research and standardization and research
with costs that are too high. And we’re really not connecting the end
and development at the federal level would certainly be helpful to
user, who’s going to pick up these recycled goods and bring them to
our industry.
the recycling opportunity.
Rep Stevens: It’s overwhelmingly exciting, partly because that NIST
We’re not looking to boil the ocean with this legislation, but we are
[National Institutes of Standards and Technology] is at the table
looking to provide a platform and a springboard for the guidance that
with the standardization. I think they’re the coolest agency ever and
our municipalities are asking for. And you realize the weight of our
part of why I ran for Congress. But it’s also overwhelmingly exciting
federal agencies to do so. So, the Office of Science and Technology
because here you are, as an industry association, pushing for this. I
Policies is going to play a big leading role here, and we’ve got a lot of
want everyone to listen very carefully to this. The National Institutes of
buy-in on what we’re looking to do with this legislation.
Standards and Technology is working with Troy University in Alabama
Matt: We’re proud to support the bill and we’re happy to do anything to do the research and provide the metrology basis for the standards
we can to help. The bill directs the Department of Energy to support and development of plastics recycling that will enable us to recycle
research and other activities on chemical and bio-inspired recycling, better.
recyclability by design and upcycling recycled plastics into new,
We had an industry representative in our hearing a couple of years
high-value products. New end-uses and technologies are critical for
ago who, on the record in the Congressional Record, said we do
the development of recycling capabilities. The director of the Office of
not see this as a bad thing, a nettlesome regulation. We see this
Science and Technology Policy is directed to establish an interagency
as enabling us to better recycle and more clearly recycle, and then
committee to coordinate the program, develop definitions for key
enable municipal stakeholders.
terms, including “recycle” and “recyclability,” as well as develop
a strategic plan for waste reduction, recycling and plastic waste We all know the power in this, too. The research I just mentioned
remediation. Hitting on two important components here, innovation coming out of Troy, where they’re starting to look into the standards
and standardization. Can you elaborate on those two provisions? and develop them. It’s pennies on the dollar. It’s like two-million dollars

38  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 that they are using. These are not large-ticket items, and they’re able
to be used very effectively.
I think the public/private partnership standards approach we’re going
to get from NIST is going to be huge. The Department of Energy has
already invested $25 million in polymer upcycling, looking at the
efficient deconstructing and rebuilding of polymers. They’re already
looking at those technologies, and that’s amazing.
I’ve got a company right around the corner from where I am right
now in Livonia, Michigan, called Quad City Innovations, and they
have a whole process about how to take all our plastic goods and
distill them back into their original chemical form to create diesel fuel.
I said, “We’re solving pipeline problems here, people!” I’m not saying
this is an exclusive, sole technological answer. It’s part of some of
the technical innovation that’s going on even without government
involvement. Imagine what we’ll get when we start coordinating these
federal resources.
I was part of a major federal action when I was a White House
appointee in 2009, as Chief of Staff on the U.S. auto rescue. A lot of
people don’t fully understand what the auto rescue was. Sure, it was
the largest industrial managed bankruptcy in American history. It saw
GM and Chrysler through that process and back to profitability and
saved the supply chain. But it was also an all-of-government approach.
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
The task force was made up of an interagency cabinet of officials that
came to the table. And it was coordinated across government.
What did we get from that? Great results. Now, that was a moment
of triage. We might be having a triage eventually in this space. But
right now, I’m just looking to capitalize on the ability to create profit
and economic growth and double down on what we do really well
in a place I call home, which is supply chain economics. This bill is a
good one and we’re pleased to have the stakeholders on board in the
approach that we’re going to pursue, because I think this is going to
yield some great results for us.
Matt: We know that plastics are increasingly important in the
manufacture and the fuel efficiency of vehicles. But with a growing
market for electric vehicles, I’m interested to get your take on where
you see the American automotive industry headed and the role that
plastic can play in that direction.
Rep. Stevens: I do brag about the plastics work I do in Congress.
It comes up on a lot of my site visits and sit-downs with automotive
companies, in particular. And you guys would just love it. Their eyes
light up. They say, “We’re working with plastic all the time, and this
is so critical.” Plastic is going to be incredibly essential to where
we’re going to go in the auto industry. I think we are at a really
exciting and catalytic moment. We’re still in this fourth industrial
39  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
 "I’ve got to be eyes-wide-open about this and not just try to
envision a world that would never exist and doesn’t exist,
where people just shoot from the hip and say we should ban
all plastic. I’m drinking out of a plastic water bottle right now.
We’ve got bigger fish to fry in many respects, which is why
we’re doing the right thing with this approach in the plastic
waste reduction bill that we’re working on."
revolution with the arrival of the industrial internet of things. The And realizing that no one wants to see waste filling our waterways or
processes and approaches to production and to shipment and to oceans and what the opportunity for cleanup might be. You’ve got to
maintenance and repair, in an accelerated way. It’s something we do both, cleanup and prevention.
didn’t really have access to until the arrival of big data sets and the
Some of that work, the efforts I was talking about that NIST and Troy
collaboration that begets throughout the industry. And I think we’re
University are doing, those standards certainly tie into some of those
going to see this with electric vehicles, and I think we’re going to see
technology developments. Some of that is also going to provide
this with autonomous. You’re going to beget an incredibly complex
instruction on how we choose to recycle.
collaboration of stakeholders.
I was invited to come over for a meeting on recycling and the
I really want to hear from you guys on the materials component,
cleanup of our oceans with four senators, over in the Senate. It was
particularly for the electric vehicle, because I think we need to be very
also focused on the efforts to get Save Our Seas done, and that was
eyes-wide-open. The Economist just had this article about making
something we were able to do.
sure our electric cars are recyclable. It’s slightly more complex than
the standard car because the remand principles are different. I really I’m wondering if some of those recommendations will be given
want to hear from you all about that component. over to our Department of Defense, which obviously operates in an
international way. Or to the United States Agency for International
We also have to map the supply chain of the battery. And you guys
Development (which provides U.S. aid worldwide) because what
are also in the chemicals space. You know this better than many the
winds up happening also is that livelihoods get destroyed. If you can
chemicals that go into the battery. It’s a different part component
no longer fish in waterways, or if the good that you’re going after is
but you’re also going to be a part of what ties into the battery, the
destroyed because of plastic waste, that’s a huge problem. It’s a global
automobile, the look of the automobile and all of that. I will say, it’s a
problem not only for our food supply but also obviously for livelihood,
managed time of excitement in the auto industry but it’s also going
as well. I think that will evolve as this legislation gets implemented
to be a time for our companies to lead, and that’s what’s taking
and an interagency approach starts taking place.
place every single day here—with the mindset of American products,
American jobs. Frankly, I think it can even dovetail into some more work with us. I
know that our bottlers are working with World Wildlife Foundation.
Matt: I want to circle back, while we have time, to your bill. A big We’ve got a lot of different stakeholder groups at the table. Again,
part is the plastic waste reduction and recycling program. It instructs
this is people working together. We talk about all of government, and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support
part of the approach is bringing everyone to the table—the industry
research and other activities on remediation of plastic marine debris,
associations, our municipalities. We’ve got to be eyes-wide-open
as well as ocean plastic pollution. This is certainly something we’ve
about this and not just try to envision a world that would never exist
been watching and working on for years but wanted to get your sense
and doesn’t exist, where people just shoot from the hip and say we
of that component of your bill, as well as the general discussion in
should ban all plastic. I’m drinking out of a plastic water bottle right
Congress surrounding marine debris and ocean plastic.
now. We’ve got bigger fish to fry in many respects, which is why we’re
Rep. Stevens: This is another thing that has really compelled doing the right thing with this approach in the plastic waste reduction
bipartisan action. Obviously, you’re familiar with the Save Our Seas bill that we’re working on.
Act and the leadership role we can play as the United States of
America, but also the pressure we have to put on the actual polluters.

40  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 A Practical Guide to
Sustainability in Plastics
DECEMBER 1–2, 2021 | A VIRTUAL AND ON-DEMAND EXPERIENCE
Presented by the Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit,
the Practical Guide to Sustainability in Plastics workshop will provide a platform
for our industry to convene, exchange information and ideas, and discover
new ways to push sustainability in manufacturing forward.

Whether you are new to the industry, new to a sustainability role within your
company, or a seasoned sustainability professional who’d like to brush up on leading
sustainability trends, this workshop has something for everyone.

REGISTER AT REFOCUSSUMMIT.ORG
Produced by
WHEN AND WHERE CAN YOU SEE US NEXT?
I n d u s t r y Tr e n d s . I n d u s t r y E x p e r t s . I n d u s t r y S o l u t i o n s .

EHS+ Committee Meeting 31st Annual Vinyl Compounders Conference

October 19–20, 2021 | Virtual December 5-7, 2021 | Savannah, GA

Transportation & Industrial Plastics (TIP 2021 Fluoropolymers Division Conference

Committee Meeting February 1–3, 2022 | Fort Lauderdale, FL
October 26, 2021 | Auburn Hills, MI
PLASTICS Spring Meeting
PLASTICS Packaging Summit March 29–April 1, 2022 | Washington, DC
November 3–5, 2021 | Virtual
Re|focus Sustainability and Recycling Summit
Fall Food Packaging Conference May 23–25, 2022 | Cincinnati, OH
November 9–11, 2021 | Virtual PLASTICS continues to monitor COVID-19 developments across the country and
internationally. We are also monitoring our ability to hold meetings without risk to our
attendees, and overall staff health and safety.

P L A S T I C S I N D U S T R Y. O R G / E V E N T S

Let us know
what's going on at
your company.
magazine@plasticsindustry.org
42  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
 Be connected. Be heard. Be represented.
Be involved, with the Plastics Industry Association.

WHO ARE WE? WHY CHOOSE US?

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
represents the entire plastics supply chain,
globally — from materials and equipment
suppliers to processors, converters and
recyclers. Partnering with leading brand owners,
we allow innovative companies to shape our
industry’s future. To help your business thrive,
PLASTICS provides valuable connections to
industry peers, exclusive economic data, the
latest standards and regulatory information, and
a voice in every state and the nation’s capital.
Information— Access to exclusive economic reports,
the latest manufacturing standards and more
Events — Dozens of special events each year
promoting partnership and innovation
Networking — Meet new suppliers and customers to
grow your business
NPE® — We organize one of the world’s largest
plastics industry trade shows.

WHAT DO WE DO?

ADVO C AC Y ENGAGEMENT

Advocate for an environment where Deliver value that drives growth and
the plastics industry thrives. engagement for members and customers.

CO MMUNI CAT I O NS SU STAINABIL IT Y

Educate society on the true value of Lead and rally the plastics industry in
plastic. sustainable materials management.

P L A S T I C S I N D U S T R Y. O R G / M E M B E R S H I P
plastic then and now

CLASSIC voice and action

PLASTIC
IT ’S FLUNG. IT ’S FUN. IT ’S FRISBEE.

44  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

 Walter Frederick Morrison promoting his Pluto Platters, forerunner of the Frisbee circa 1950. SOURCE: Connecticut State Library
It must have taken some effort, but Wikipedia managed to
make the incredibly popular Frisbee sound dull: “a gliding toy
or sporting item that is generally made of injection-molded
plastic and roughly 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) in diameter
with a pronounced lip.”
We prefer this: “Fantastic plastic product that can give adults,
children and even dogs hours of fun and exercise. Another
reason why plastics are great!”
The world loves the Frisbee, and we owe it all to a young
couple, spotted tossing a cake pan back and forth on a
California beach in the 1930s. As the story goes, a passerby
offered them a quarter for their cake pan because it looked
like fun. Since the pan cost only a fraction of that, the couple—
Walter Morrison and the future Lucille Morrison—readily
agreed and were soon back at the beach selling “Flyin’ Cake
Pans” at 25 cents each.
Several years and a world war later, Walter kept the idea alive
and started prototyping tossing discs made of plastic. He
and a business partner landed on a design they called The
Flying Saucer, capitalizing on public fascination with UFOs.
Later, working on his own, Morrison redesigned the product
and reached 3 billion miles into space to borrow a planetary
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
name for it. He eventually sold the rights to his Pluto Platter
to the Wham-O toy company.
While Walter Morrison’s story was playing out in California,
Frisbee history says that students at Yale University in
Connecticut were whipping Frisbie Pie Company tins around
campus, shouting “Frisbie!” to warn people of incoming tins.
Liking the sound of the name, Wham-O coined “Frisbee” and
went to market with it in September of 1957.
Both the name and the disc-tossing habit caught on in a big
way. Hundreds of millions of Frisbees have been sold over
the years, not to mention the many knock-off versions you’ve
probably seen flying around. Mattel, which now owns the
Frisbee brand, once estimated that some 90% of Americans
have played with a Frisbee at some point.
Frisbee-lovers are innovators
And as a generation grew up with the Frisbee, the game of
Frisbee grew up, too, giving birth to entirely new sports.
The first to come along was Ultimate Frisbee, now called
“Ultimate” for legal reasons. According to USA Ultimate, the
governing body for the sport in the United States, the game
was created in 1968 by students at Columbia High School in
45  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021
Maplewood, New Jersey. Today, millions play it worldwide at sponsorship deal with champion disc golfer, Paul McBeth.
the professional and amateur levels.
Success for disc golf translates into plastics jobs, as well.
Ultimate is something of a combination of American football Discraft currently has more than 70 employees, mostly
and soccer, in which a squad of seven passes a disc machine operators, and is looking for more.
back-and-forth with the object of reaching the opposing
team’s endzone. The opposing team, as one might expect,
It’s all about fun
tries to stop them and/or gain control of the disc. While the world of Frisbee has matured into one of profes-
sional sports with rules, regulations and specially engineered
While Ultimate began as a game played with a traditional
equipment, the name “Frisbee” is far more associated with
Frisbee, it developed to a point where it required its own
simple fun, like the carefree experience Walter and Lucille
specialized equipment. Serious Ultimate players use discs
Morrison had when they were tossing a cake pan on a
that are manufactured to standards approved by the official
California beach, nearly ninety years ago.
governing bodies of the sport.
The flying disc with the odd name, “Frisbee,” is just one of
About a decade after Ultimate Frisbee developed, a former
many examples of the contributions the plastics industry
vice president of Wham-O came up with an idea for a
has made to leisure activities in the U.S. and abroad. Frisbee,
game inspired by
Wiffle Ball, ping
Frisbee-lovers’ habit of
pong balls,
challenging one another
badminton birds
to golf-like target-
and more, having
hitting contests. His
fun wouldn’t
game involved tossing
be half as easy
a Frisbee with the goal
(or half as fun)
of landing the disc in a
without plastics.
basket suspended from
a metal pole. Unable to According to his
use the Frisbee name, 2010 obituary in
he coined the term “disc The Los Angeles
golf,” giving birth to Times, inventor
yet another new sport. Walter Morrison
Today, according to the once said he
Professional Disc Golf wasn’t happy
Association (PDGA) when Wham-O
website, there are more put the Frisbee
than 9,000 disc golf name on his flying
courses worldwide. disc. “I thought the
A flying disc with the Wham-O registered trademark "Frisbee" name was a horror.
If you want to get into
Terrible,” he said.
disc golf, you’ll need
The article goes on to say that Morrison later changed his
more than just a Frisbee from your local toy store. As was
mind, after receiving some $2 million in royalties. “I wouldn’t
the case with Ultimate, a game that was originally conceived
change the name of it for the world,” he said.
around the traditional Frisbee has evolved. Disc golfers now
use smaller discs. All PDGA-approved discs are 8.3–11.8 And neither would we…although, being able to say, “Fantastic,
inches in diameter and weigh no more than 7.1 ounces. PLASTIC Pluto Platter” would be fun.
They’re even divided up like golf clubs: drivers, mid-range
Is there a particular classic plastic item that made fond
discs and putters.
memories for you? We’d love to hear about it.
Since 1964, the PDGA has approved some 1,300 different
Send us an email at
discs for players to use. Nearly 50 were approved in just the
first quarter of 2021. magazine@plasticsindustry.org.

How lucrative is the world of disc golf? Earlier this year,

Discraft—a top maker of discs for both Ultimate and
disc golf—signed a record-breaking 10-year, $10 million

46  PLASTICS MAGAZINE  Fall 2021 Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

Plastics solve problems
that other materials cannot
because they are durable,
flexible, lightweight and
water resistant.
ThisIsPlastics.com is here to help you change the conversation—inspiring
meaningful conversations about the power of plastics.

With this resource, we’re empowering you with ways to tell the world what you
do and why you do it. You’ll be able to share your story about our industry and
about a material that makes a positive impact.

GET INVOLVED
Sign up to become the
point person for This Is
Plastics at your company
at ThisIsPlastics.com.
 Since 1946, NPE® has fueled the advancements of tomorrow by creating a
platform for technology and ingenuity. Whether you’re revealing the latest
technology or recruiting the industry’s next generation of thinkers, NPE is the
plastics industry’s premier event, built by the industry, for the industry.

Save the Date

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NPE.org | Orange County Convention Center
May 6–10, 2024 | #NPE2024