Global Research & Innovation in Plastics Sustainability (GRIPS) 2022: Call for Abstracts

The portal to submit abstracts for GRIPS 2022 is now open.

Global Research and Innovation in Plastics Sustainability is a conference, exhibition and showcase that will be held on 15th – 17th March 2022 online. It is organised and run by KTN and hosted by the UK Circular Plastics Network.

Following on from the hugely successful GRIPS 2021, the event in 2022 will again showcase research and innovation from both the academic and industrial community that make polymers more sustainable. It will bring together companies and individuals to highlight the best of the UK and select international activities which will lead to plastics being less likely to reach landfill, end up incinerated, or become fugitive in the environment.

Research and innovation from both the academic and industrial community will be showcased at GRIPS 2022. The event will provide a platform to help develop commercial success of these developments and build links within the polymer/plastics supply chain to strengthen the offer to UK and wider international actors in application sectors such as plastic packaging/FMCG, construction, agriculture, textiles, healthcare etc.

Each session aims to identify recommendations for immediate action in the plastics value chain.

Call for abstracts

We are specifically looking for abstracts that focus on innovations in plastics leading to enhanced sustainability of plastics and polymers leading to or having less impact on the environment.

Themes:

• Understanding policy drivers relating to plastics products and future plastics use
• Research into behaviour change and business modelling of plastics products or processes leading to less plastic entering the environment
• Life cycle analysis and techno-economic analysis of the polymer and alternative materials value chains
• More recyclable polymer materials
• Innovation in synthetic textiles to improve sustainability and lead to less microplastic shedding
• Improvements in tyre properties or collection methods to lead to less persistent polymer Packaging of the future
• Microplastics’ effects on the environment
• Sustainable composites
• Biopolymers that replace fossil-based plastic products
• Improving ‘compatibilisation’ for recycling
• Alternatives to plastics with greater sustainability
• Design of plastics for recyclability
• Design and business models for reuse and or refill of plastics
• Sorting, separation, robotics, and AI leading to improved capture and sorting of end-of-life plastics
• Innovations in mechanical and chemical recycling

Abstracts are welcome from both industry and academia and will be published in the conference proceedings. Selected authors will be invited to present at the conference for between 10-20 mins on their research/innovation.

The submission process

Please submit your abstract of no more than 250 words and a short biography by 3rd December 2021.

A panel review will take place after the deadline and you will be informed if you are to speak by 20th December. Successful applicants will be expected to present a short presentation of their research or innovation at the conference. If a speaker is unable to make their allocated time, there will be the opportunity to pre-record their presentation.

Click here for more information on submitting abstracts.

Click here for information on exhibiting and sponsoring GRIPS 2022.