Director General Philip Law's Christmas Message

Dear Member,

As the year draws to a close I am very pleased to report back to you that the British Plastics Federation has been taken to new heights in 2016.

We have now published ‘The UK Plastics Industry: A Strategic vision for growth’ which is the industry’s own statement of what needs to be done to ensure that we remain at the forefront of global manufacturing. 

In this we have enumerated the actions we are taking to address the reputation and image of plastics, the skills shortfall and firmer contacts with schools, the security of materials and feedstock supply, the positioning of plastics within the ‘circular economy’ concept, the exploitation of future markets based on the energy efficiency of new products, greater overseas market development and increased reshoring.  We will be looking to step up the collaboration between industry sectors.

Great strides have been made in preparing the ground for an ‘Ambassadors’ campaign’ for company representatives to brief local school children on the properties and benefits of plastics materials and products as well as showing them the careers opportunities in the industry.  The BPF has created a substantial web resource – www.polymerzone.co.uk to support the campaign.  PlasticsEurope have kindly donated schools kits and training days for volunteers have just been held,earlier this month, in York and Manchester.

Since June Brexit has come to dominate our agenda.  We have rapidly established the BPF as the point of reference on Brexit for both the plastics industry and UK Government.  A BPF Brexit Task Force has already been formed, chaired by Mike Boswell of Plastribution, and we have published a key document ‘Securing the Future: Priorities for the UK Plastics Industry in a New UK-EU Relationship’.  This reflects our members’ top concerns of wanting to retain free access to the Single Market, needing urgent confirmation of the employment status of our EU migrant workforce, preferring future regulatory equivalence between the UK and the EU and requiring improved Government support for overseas business development and innovation.  These points are being pressed with UK Government and Parliamentarians.

Further consolidating the UK plastics industry in overseas markets will be pursued in 2017 through BPF stands in key markets.  We intend to exhibit at Plastivision in Mumbai, 19th-23rd January, Chinaplas in Guangzhou, 16th-19th May, and Plastimagen, Mexico City, 7th-10th November.  

We were recently at the ‘K’ Fair in Dusseldorf in strength with 25 UK companies and this was the first outing for our newly published Buyers’ Guide to the UK plastics industry which features substantial and exclusive entries for all BPF members.  This will be a major plank in our promotion of your services to the market in 2017.

We do hope that your company will join us at our BPF Annual Dinner at The Lancaster London Hotel on Thursday, 12th October 2017.  This year’s event was the largest ever held, well reflecting an industry now with a £23.5 billion turnover and an employee base of 170,000.  It remains the premier top-level business networking event in the UK plastics industry, possibly even in the global industry.

As I write, the BPF’s membership has now grown to 531 member firms creating an absolutely first rate platform for industry-based communications, marketing, issues management, lobbying and networking.  

With my personal best wishes for your company’s success in 2017.

Philip Law

Director General