🌍   INC-5.2: Treaty Talks at a Crossroads

🚀  NPE2027 Space Applications Open Today

📊   Sustainability Reporting and Decarbonization Planning

♻️   Recycling Open House Starts Tomorrow

PLASTICS’ Matt Seaholm and Patrick Krieger are on the ground at INC-5.2, where negotiators are deep in plastics treaty discussions — but no section of the agreement is close to completion. Contentious points include production, product design, pollution, and financing.

Patrick Krieger’s latest report notes that, with just days left, smaller “informals” and “informal informals” are driving the process as negotiators race to deliver a final text by Friday. 

 To read Patrick's latest report, click here.

The countdown to NPE2027: The Plastics Show has officially begun.

Exhibit Space Applications open at 12:00 pm ET today. Whether you're a returning exhibitor or showcasing for the first time, this is the time to position your company at the center of industry innovation and global opportunity.

📊 NPE by the Numbers

• 🌍 Representation from 130+ countries
• 🏢 90% of attendees are buyers
• 🧠 71% are decision-makers or key influencers
• 💼 32% have purchasing budgets of $1M+

📌 Deadline: December 3, 2025

Questions: please email exhibit@npe.org

Click here to learn more and access the Exhibit Space Application starting at 12:00 pm ET today.

Waste Management (WM) is amplifying a message that PLASTICS has championed for years—Recycling Is Real. As part of their latest public education effort, WM has launched the Recycling is Real Challenge, a short interactive quiz designed to raise awareness about proper recycling practices.

To further promote this message, Waste Management is offering participants a chance to win an exclusive VIP experience at two major sporting events in 2026.

We encourage our members to explore the campaign, test their recycling knowledge, and help reinforce the message that recycling is—and must remain—a real, effective solution.

To take the Recycling is Real Challenge, click here. 

Exclusive webinar for PLASTICS members |  August 21 at 1:00 PM ET

Ready to take the next step in your sustainability journey?

Join experts from Sphera, a global leader in sustainability and operational risk management technology, for an exclusive webinar designed for the plastics industry.

You’ll learn how to:

✅ Navigate Scope 3 reporting across your supply chain

✅ Tackle material-specific challenges in emissions data

✅ Improve your sustainability reporting for regulatory and voluntary frameworks (like CDP)

✅ Integrate LCA and supplier engagement into decarbonization strategies

✅ Use technology to streamline emissions tracking

Whether you’re just starting or advancing your reporting capabilities, this session will give you practical insights to elevate your sustainability efforts.

To register for this free webinar on August 21 at 1:00 PM, click here.

Don't miss this - the 2025 Recycling Open House kicks off tomorrow, August 13, with a second session on August 20.

Attendees will learn about how to become engaged in sustainability programs with a focus around product design considerations for material circularity, climate change, and impact on GHG emissions. Recycling Open House partners include: Alliance to End Plastic Waste, American Chemistry Council, Association of Plastic Recyclers, Circular Action Alliance, Council of the Great Lakes Region, Flexible Packaging Association, GreenBlue/Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council, The Recycling Partnership, and the Vinyl Institute.

Have a conflict? Register anyway and we'll share the event summary with insights from each organization and association following the event.

📅 August 13 & 20
🕛 12–1:30 PM ET
💻 Virtual | 💲 Free

To register for this event,  click here.