Founded in 1937, the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. was a professional society representing individuals in the plastics industry. In 2010, the organization began doing business as SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association, before changing its name to the
Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) The Plastics Industry Association, abbreviated as PLASTICS, is a trade association representing the plastics industry. Founded in 1937 as the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., the organization rebranded as the Plastics Industry Association, a ...
.
PLASTICS members represent the entire
plastics industry The plastics industry manufactures polymer materials—commonly called plastics—and offers services in plastics important to a range of industries, including packaging, building and construction, electronics, aerospace, and transportation.
It i ...
supply chain
In commerce, a supply chain is a network of facilities that procure raw materials, transform them into intermediate goods and then final products to customers through a distribution system. It refers to the network of organizations, people, activ ...
in the U.S., including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers, raw materials suppliers, recyclers and brand owners.
Activities
The organization produces the triennial global
trade show
A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and c ...
br>
NPE one of the world's largest plastics industry events. PLASTICS also publishes statistical reports on the U.S. plastics industry, including:
* ''The Size and Impact of the Plastics Industry on the
U.S. Economy'' and
* ''Global Business Trends.''
PLASTICS' Committee on Equipment Statistics also produces annual and quarterly reports on shipments in plastics manufacturing machinery.
As the Society of the Plastics Industry, the organization introduced the
Resin Identification Code
The ASTM International Resin Identification Coding System, often abbreviated RIC, is a set of symbols appearing on plastic products that identify the plastic resin out of which the product is made. It was developed in 1988 by the Society of th ...
in 1988 before turning control of the Code over to
ASTM International
ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, an ...
. This system was introduced to make separation of the many similar-appearing
plastic resin types easier for
plastic recycling
Plastic recycling is the reprocessing of plastic waste into new products. When performed correctly, this can reduce dependence on landfill, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
A ...
centers across the country. There was no federal legislation or program to mandate these symbols, though many states have now adopted legislation that mandate its use.
References
External links
To promote the advancement of plastics machinery manufacturing industryCustom Plastic Box Design & Manufacture ServiceSPI's Triennial Global Trade Show: NPEPlastics Data Source
Recycling organizations
Plastics industry organizations
Trade associations based in the United States
Advocacy groups in the United States
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