Sustainability: Challenges Incorporating Recyclate  

Summary

As of 2019, Global plastics production totaled 368 million metric tons. Over the years plastics have enabled numer-ous industries. In the automotive industry, plastics play a critical role in safety, performance, and fuel efficiency. Plastic packaging helps to protect and preserve goods, while reducing weight in transportation. The use of single-use plastics in hospitals effectively prevent a considerable number of healthcare-acquired infections every year. But with all their popularity come concerns surrounding end of life. As the desire for sustainable products grow, so does confusion on what sustainability means as well as how to successfully introduce these sustainable materials into products. In this webinar we will:

• Define the language surrounding sustainability and plastics
• Take a look at a variety of approaches to sustainability
• Discuss the challenges with incorporating recyclate into a successful product

About Speaker

Melissa Kurtz
Managing Engineer
The Madison Group

Melissa Kurtz is a Managing Engineer at The Madison Group. Melissa holds an M.S. degree in Material Science and Engineering from Wayne State University. She has over 20 years of experience serving the global product development community across several industries including transportation, medical, and consumer products. She is an expert in material selection, test method development, and failure analysis. Melissa is passionate about s ustainability, especially within the plastics industry, and is eager to educate others on possible solutions and their challenges.