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.
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
