Job Role

Product Engineer

Company

Berry Global

What attracted you to the plastics industry in the first place?

I learned about plastics while studying my degree in Chemical Engineering. I was amazed by all the possibilities of this material and that is why I chose the topic for my master’s thesis, Chemical Recycling of PET. This was back in 2014 when recyclability was not yet a “hot topic”. I could not understand how such a valuable material could be forgotten at the end of its life.

How did your career move forward?

While writing my thesis and working at the same time as a lab technician in Spain, I realized the world was facing big challenges and I was not going to be able to do anything about it from the small island where I am from. That is when I decided to move to the UK, one of the best places in the world for science. But it was not an easy path; I was working for a thermoplastics company when a friend mentioned the great opportunities Berry Global (RPC at the time) was offering in its Graduate Programme. This was at the end of 2017 when Blue Planet II happened and the world’s perception about plastics changed drastically. This was the opportunity I was waiting for, I went to the interview and explained how I wanted to make a difference in the plastics industry. I am now relied upon in the commercial side of the business to be the sustainability voice for plastics.

What advice do you have for young people starting out?

Persevere, life is not always easy. For those who know what they want, those who don’t know or are not sure, working in the plastics industry can offer a job full of possibilities anywhere in the world; Berry Global who I am employed by has got sites in more than 290 locations worldwide. The plastics industry is not only engineering focussed, but sustainability, human resources, procurement… also there are challenges at all levels and there are always very knowledgeable and experienced people that you can learn from.

What do you like about working in the plastics industry?

There is never a day the same as the next one. From spending all day working on a machine until you make a good product, visiting customers to provide support in their filling lines to training a group of people, explaining to them our sustainability approach for a better future. You never get bored!

How do you think the plastics industry will change in the next 5 years?

Plastics are very versatile; it is the solution for any problem you can think of. Lighter than alternative materials, consequently lower carbon footprint for the same product, it reduces food waste by extending shelf life… but this versatility has made us forget about its end of life. This is the area where this industry will focus on in the next years. As human beings, we do not give up when things get difficult or complicated, we learn from our mistakes and subsequently we excel at finding the best solutions. 

Wondering where you could fit into the industry? Head over to our Career Pathways to plot your journey now!