By CN
Misinformation, regulation and competitiveness are the main challenges that concern the plastic processing industry in Spain. And, therefore, the protagonists of the conference organized by ANAIP, -the Spanish Association of Plastic Industries, which represents the sector-, held in the Senate.
In his opening speech, José Ángel Alonso, president of the Senate’s Ecological Transition Commission, pointed out the convenience of creating spaces for dialogue between institutions, industry and society to address the challenges posed by the transition towards more sustainable production models and avoid simplifications. «The challenge of plastic, -in his opinion-, is in how we design it, use it and if we are able to correctly manage the end of its useful life. And this is where regulation has to play a key role with frameworks that are predictable, proportionate and evidence-based.”
The two scheduled discussion tables focused on key issues for the future of the sector: the balance between sustainability, regulation and industrial competitiveness, and the impact of misinformation on the public narrative around plastics.
Highlights raised by the speakers – political representatives, companies in the sector and journalists – were the need to promote the local industry and its competitiveness, the challenge that sustainability poses for the sector and the role of R&D&I to achieve objectives and increase strategic autonomy, the sector’s rejection of the tax on non-reusable plastic packaging, bureaucratic agility and the demand to listen to the industry when establishing regulations.
Participants analyzed how the industry is working to adapt to new regulatory demands linked to the circular economy, valuing the sector’s efforts to combine environmental ambition with competitiveness, legal certainty, technological neutrality and realistic adaptation times.
Regarding misinformation about plastic, participants reflected on the imbalance that may exist in the public narrative about this material, in which negative impacts receive greater attention than its positive applications. To counteract this situation, participating journalists proposed to convey more positive information to society and highlight the applications of plastic in sectors such as health and energy, as well as the contribution of this material to the reduction of emissions, climate change and the reduction of food waste. Always under the premise that this communication is scientific, truthful and rigorous, as a key to combating misinformation and fake news.
The closing was carried out by the general director of ANAIP, Isabel Goyena, who vindicated the role of the industry in the sustainable transition: «In plastics transformation, we are a committed and circular industry. If manufacturing is moved to other countries, the industry in Spain will lose and the global environment will lose.