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Plastics as the environment and human life-friendly materials" is the main idea this year's PLASTECH-INFO technical seminar was devoted to. The negative image of plastics requires highlighting plastics use in the context of existing environmental requirements and awareness-raising on how vital is resource management. A proper selection of materials, technologies and processing optimisation are the most critical issues discussed during the meeting.

The lecture began with  ECODESIGN - designing environmentally friendly polymer products principles. Maciej Heneczkowski from the Rzeszów University of Technology delivered the presentation.

- Plastics have become our lives' immanent part. At one point, they turned out to be the 21st-century material. Now we are at a crossroads because by unskilful use and application of plastic may result in a problem - a waste heap challenging to manage.  The area available for waste storage has decreased, and the waste management regulations have been tightened -this is the reason - emphasised Maciej Heneczkowski.

The most frequently used plastics include polymers and PET, and the industries in which plastics are most often used are civil engineering and automotive.

The technical seminar indicated the critical objectives related to endeavours targeted at the environmental burden reduction posed by post-consumer polymer materials waste.  The principles used in the product design phase, the so-called eco-design is the recommended procedure.

Much attention was also paid to the Circular Economy issues. The areas which determine the project success include plastics business sector, food losses, energy and bio-based products. Organisational activities related to polymer materials under the project were also emphasised. Recyclability, bio-degradability, elimination of the use of substances harmful to the environment and the reduction of waste which pollutes the marine environment were pointed out to.

The technical seminar presented the assumptions for the design of environmentally friendly polymer products and the detailed principles of environmentally friendly design, production and use of plastic products.

In the next part of the meeting, Bogdan Zabrzewski from Wittmann Battenfeld Polska LLC addressed the issues of gas-assisted injection technology and discussed the importance of modern injection moulding machines in the context of the innovative technologies development.

(MCh)