Issue No. 35    |    October 21, 2025

This Week:

🌐  Last Day to Shape Industry Tariff & USMCA Response

🌱  Bioplastics Week: Advancing a More Sustainable                   Future

⏰  Vinyl Week: Early Bird Discount Ends This Friday!

🌎  OCS CON 2025: Advancing Solutions Towards

         Eliminating Plastic Resin Loss

👩‍💼  Spotlight on Braskem’s Brittany Darras

🤝  Welcome New Members

⚡ Last Day to Shape Industry Tariff & USMCA Response

Your feedback shapes how PLASTICS advocates for policies that protect and strengthen our industry. We'd like your quick input on two urgent issues impacting U.S. plastics manufacturing:

• Section 232 Tariffs Expansion – New tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives could raise costs and disrupt supply chains. Tell us how this affects your business.
• USMCA Renegotiation – Changes to North American trade could reshape your operations. Share your insights to guide our engagement with the U.S. Trade Representative.

🕒 Deadline: October 21, 2025 – Don’t miss your chance to influence the discussion.

👉 Take both surveys now, 

🌱 Bioplastics Week: Advancing a More Sustainable                    Future

This week, PLASTICS celebrates Bioplastics Week — an annual campaign showcasing how bioplastics are driving innovation, sustainability, and circularity across the plastics industry.

Throughout the week, PLASTICS and its members are sharing insights, success stories, and new research highlighting the value that bioplastics bring to a product's environmental impact and functionality, expanding sustainable choices for manufacturers and consumers alike.

👉 This week, we need your support!

Follow the event hashtag #BioplasticsWeek — and post, like, and share content throughout the week. Use this toolkit, complete with sample posts and graphics, to help get started. Let's make some noise about Bioplastics Week and show how our industry is moving sustainability forward!

Learn more about Bioplastics Week .

✅ Download the Bioplastics Week toolkit.

⏰ Vinyl Week Early Bird Discount Ends This Friday!

Vinyl processors, material suppliers, and industry stakeholders looking to sharpen their competitive edge are gathering in New Orleans Dec. 9–12 for high-impact learning and networking at Vinyl Week 2025!

📚What You’ll Learn – With 25-plus sessions designed to fuel innovation and strategy, attendees will dive into topics like:

• Legislative trends shaping the vinyl landscape in 2026
• Breakthroughs in chemical films and fabric coatings
• Navigating tariffs and feedstock disruptions
• Compliance strategies in a shifting regulatory environment
• Reformulating wire & cable with emerging standards
• Outdoor vinyl applications for pool, patio, and garden

Early bird deadline is Oct. 24. Secure you spot and your savings before the deadline passes. 

👉 Register now. 

🌎 OCS CON 2025: Advancing Solutions Towards Eliminating Plastic Resin Loss

Operation Clean Sweep^® (OCS) brought together more than 130 leaders from across the plastics value chain in Indianapolis for the second annual OCS CON  — the industry's premier forum for sharing tested strategies and innovations in preventing plastic resin loss.

Over three days, attendees joined facility tours, participated in a waterway cleanup, and attended panels, expert dialogues, and interactive discussions designed to promote collaboration, education, and continuous improvement across all segments of the plastics industry.

The conference also marked the debut of OCS’s refreshed brand and tagline — Leading the Way in Resin Stewardship — reinforcing the program’s leadership in responsible resin handling.

To learn more about the event, click here.

👩‍💼 Building a More Sustainable Future: Spotlight on Braskem’s Brittany Darras

Seventeen years into her career, Brittany Darras, External Affairs & Sustainability Manager at Braskem, is helping shape the future of plastics sustainability. “My role centers on advancing Braskem’s sustainability goals and advocating for policies that improves plastics sustainability,” she says. “I also lead our U.S. Volunteer Program and promote local development where we operate.”

Mentorship and purpose have guided her journey, helping her grow as both a leader and a professional. Brittany believes in the vital role plastics play in health, safety, and quality of life—and she remains committed to driving progress toward a more sustainable and circular future.

A four-year member of FLiP (Future Leaders in Plastics), Brittany credits the program with expanding her understanding of the plastics value chain and connecting her with peers across the industry. “It’s given me opportunities to learn, network, and gain mentors,” she says. “I also better understand different parts of the plastics value chain beyond resin suppliers,” she adds. 

To learn more about Future leaders in Plastics (FLiP), click here.

🤝 Welcome New Members

Since its founding in 2000, Plastics Plus L.V. has been a trusted leader in custom plastic fabrication, CNC machining, and plastics distribution. Formerly known as Piper Plastics LLC, the company has built a strong reputation for delivering innovative, high-quality solutions tailored to the unique needs of the design and hospitality industries.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Plastics Plus is proud to be a minority-owned business serving clients nationwide — from trade shows and nightclubs to hotels and restaurants. Their commitment to craftsmanship, creativity, and customer satisfaction has made them a preferred partner for custom plastic projects of all sizes.

Visit website.

📆 Mark Your Calendar

🌱 Bioplastics Week | October 20–25, 2025 | Celebrate 10 years of Bioplastics Week with us through our annual social media campaign spotlighting the latest innovations in bioplastics.  Watch for daily posts from PLASTICS on social media, and join the celebration by liking, commenting, and sharing.

♻️ Plastics Sustainability Executive Forum | November 3–4 | New York, NY |

Request an invitation to join senior sustainability professionals to explore real-world solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. This fall’s forum will focus on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Learn more.

📅 Vinyl Week 2025 | December 9–12 | New Orleans | This one-of-a-kind gathering brings together the Vinyl Compounders Conference and the Vinyl Sustainability Summit for four days of leadership, networking, and forward-looking insights. Register today.

🗓️  NPE2027 Space Selection & Planning Event | March 2–6, 2026 | Orlando, FL | NPE2027 exhibitors will convene to select exhibit booth space, plan for exhibit success, and explore opportunities to maximize the NPE2027 investment. Learn more.

🏛️ PLASTICS Spring Meeting and Industry Fly-In | April 13-15, 2026 | Washington, DC | Join us for the annual PLASTICS Spring Meeting and Industry Fly-In. We'll come together to share our policy and advocacy initiatives while bringing the industry to Capitol Hill to personally advocate on behalf of your company. More details coming soon.

⛳ FlexForum | May 4-6, 2026 | Fort Myers, FL | FlexForum is the event for anyone in the flexible film and packaging space. Covering business trends, regulatory issues, and more with the incredible networking opportunities, FlexForum is a can't miss in 2026! More details coming soon.