The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and its recycling partners — Commercial Plastics Recycling, Inc., Conair and Weima — achieved the goal of repurposing 100 percent of the plastics collected at the show, the organization announced.
A total of 516,160 pounds of plastic, cardboard and aluminum were recycled, PLASTICS said, and 105 exhibitors participated.
Two onsite recycling centers with equipment from Conair and Weima handled much of the scrap generated on the floor, allowing attendees to see the process in action. The show recycled film and attendee badges for the first time; 11,713 pounds of HD/LDPE film was recycled offsite.
“Attaining our recycling goals at NPE2024 is an incredible achievement for PLASTICS and the industry at large,” said Patrick Krieger, PLASTICS’ VP of sustainability, in a statement. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our exhibitors and recycling partners. We want to thank everyone who participated in helping us ensure no plastic material was wasted and establish a new standard for future plastic trade shows."
Additionally, 3,700 pounds of difficult to recycle plastic from NPE2024 were donated to Helpertunity, a non-profit benefiting elderly and disabled individuals, and were repurposed into senior citizens’ art projects and decorative lamps for Orlando-area nursing homes.
NPE2027 will return to Orlando May 3-7, 2027. For information, visit https://npe.org.
PLASTICS produced a video about the NPE2024 recycling effort for its "Recycling is Real" series. Watch it below.
