More than 30 expert speakers from around the world will be sharing leading edge insight about the latest technical, market and sustainability trends in the vinyl industry at PVC AUS 2018: Shaping the Future.
Organised by the Vinyl Council of Australia, this two-day premier vinyl conference brings together Australasia’s vinyl value chain in Sydney from 13 to 15 March 2018. Supporting the event are headline sponsors Austria-based Greiner Extrusion GmbH, Krauss-Maffei Berstorff from Munich, Germany and Italian machinery manufacturer PlasMec.
In his global outlook for PVC supply/demand, Eddie Kok, Senior Director at IHS Chemical will provide expert analysis on pricing, supply/demand dynamics and whether supply will tighten in the next five years.
Sustainability developments in the European PVC industry and how the VinylPlus Voluntary Commitment is supporting the Circular Economy objectives for PVC will be covered by Arjen Sevenster, Technical and Environmental Affairs Senior Manager at the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM).
He will also discuss the ‘legacy substances’ issue, the development of an effective recycling system and an ‘Additives Sustainability Footprint’ methodology to evaluate the use of PVC additives from a sustainable development perspective.
Delegates will be updated on the American vinyl industry’s ‘journey of continuous improvement’ by Cristian Barcan, VP Sustainability & Industry Affairs at The Vinyl Institute. In his ‘Vinyl for a Purpose-Driven Sustainable Development’ talk, he will highlight current initiatives including an industry-wide materiality assessment, and how vinyl products can play a major leadership role in contributing to sustainable development.
Technological advances in processing and machinery will be explored by representatives from the event’s sponsors - Gerhard Hoffman, of Greiner Extrusion, Dario Soncin of Plasmec and Christian Birzer of Krauss Maffei.
Topics in this session include an overview on expanding market opportunities for PVC windows, latest developments in PVC mixing and how machine and processing technologies can prepare plastics manufacturers for future challenges.
PVC’s versatility and sustainability in construction applications include Andrew Swann of Tech Plas Extrusions Pty Ltd introducing TechBoard, an innovative product for a previously unexplored market; while David Baggs of Global Green Tag Pty Ltd will offer a comparative life cycle evaluation of PVC versus other flooring materials.
Recycling is another key theme to be examined by several speakers such as Dennis Collins, an Australian inventor of new recycling technologies for challenging waste materials. Creative concepts and ‘Wicked’ sustainable designs for tackling end-of-life PVC will be presented by Helen Millicer, the Vinyl Council’s Recycling Projects Manager and Mark Richardson from Monash University.
Economic, financial and construction market outlooks from leading commentators will conclude the comprehensive program.
Vinyl Council Chief Executive Sophi MacMillan comments: “Our second conference, PVC AUS 2018: Shaping the Future provides an unmatched opportunity for Council members and their stakeholders to learn about industry trends and developments specific to the manufacturing, use and re-use of vinyl.
“It’s the only event designed to shape the future of the vinyl industry in the region. We look forward to welcoming – and inspiring - you in Sydney!”
