Issue No.  16  |   April 21,  2026

This Week:

The Plastics Industry Fly-In on Capitol Hill was a resounding success last week. Industry leaders from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., to engage directly with policymakers and highlight the essential role our industry plays nationwide.

This year’s Fly-In brought together industry leaders representing 27 states, who held 115 meetings with lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

During a high-impact morning of advocacy, our delegation focused on:

• Building relationships: Establishing direct lines of communication with key legislators
• Advancing priorities: Ensuring our industry’s voice is represented in policy discussions
• Highlighting impact: Demonstrating plastics’ essential role in the national economy and everyday life

Momentum from these meetings continues to build. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make our collective voice heard on the Hill.

👉 Stay informed on industry news and advocacy updates in the PLASTICS Newsroom.

Post on LinkedIn to highlight how plastics support sustainability.

👉 Help amplify the industry’s voice this Earth Day.

What to do (2 minutes)

1. Download the Earth Day graphic

2. Copy the message below

3. Open LinkedIn to post

4. Tag: @PLASTICS (Plastics Industry Association) + @Positives of Plastic

💬 Copy and paste this post:

It’s #EarthDay — and we’re part of the solution.

Plastics reduce emissions, conserve resources, and enable innovation across industries—from healthcare to packaging to transportation.

This Earth Day, we’re highlighting how plastics support a more sustainable future.

#Sustainability #CircularEconomy #PlasticsInnovation #PositivesOfPlastic

Timing

📅 Best window: April 21–22 | ⏰ Morning posts perform strongest on LinkedIn

To learn more, visit recyclingisreal.org.

Why it matters: Recycling only works when the full system is aligned. A new initiative is putting that idea into action for high-impact polystyrene (HIPS).

Big picture:
HIPS is widely used but often under-recovered. This effort focuses on fixing the system—collection, processing, and demand—so the material can stay in use.

👉 To learn more, click here.

Headquartered in Beijing, China, PhaBuilder is a biotechnology company focused on the biomanufacturing of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a class of biodegradable and bio‑based polymer materials.  Founded in 2021, the company develops sustainable

material solutions through synthetic biology and advanced biomanufacturing technologies.

PhaBuilder’s technology originated from decades of research at Tsinghua University and is based on proprietary halophilic microbial systems used to produce PHA and related bio‑based materials. The company supports a wide range of applications across packaging, consumer goods, and industrial uses, with a focus on replacing traditional fossil‑based plastics with environmentally responsible alternatives.

Visit website.

📆 Mark Your Calendar

⛳ 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! Learn more. To register, click here. 

📅 Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) Annual Meeting | May 12–13, 2026 | Virtual | This year’s program will feature economic updates, active CES initiatives, a review of reporting definitions and best practices, and discussions on expanding program categories and participation. Register here.  Have questions? Email Madeline Kramer.

🏛️ 2026 FDCPMC Spring Food Packaging Summit | June 1–3 | Arlington, VA | Save the date for the Spring Food Packaging Summit, hosted by PLASTICS. This summit will bring industry leaders together at the Hilton National Landing. Learn more. To register, click here. 

📅 Plastic Sustainability Executive Forum | July 14–15, 2026 | Toronto, Canada | Summer Forum: Addressing a Growing Concern of Microplastics & Material Stewardship. To request your invitation to attend, click here. 

📅 National Plastics Conference | Sept. 14–17, 2026 | Houston, TX | 

The exclusive event built by industry, for industry returns. Super Early Member Rates available until April 17.

📅 OCS CON 2026 | Oct. 14–16, 2026 | Houston, TX | Hosted by Operation Clean Sweep®, OCS CON brings the full plastic value chain together in efforts towards eliminating the loss of plastic to the environment.  Early Bird Registration now open. 

📅 Plastic Sustainability Executive Forum | Nov. 11–12, 2026 | Atlanta, GA | Fall Forum: Backing the Vision: Investment, Infrastructure, and the Economics of Advanced Recycling. To request your invitation to attend, click here. 

📅 Save the date. Vinyl Week 2026 | Dec. 8–11, 2026 | Charlotte, NC | 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.

🏆 Make It a Team Win!

Know someone on your team who should see this?

Feel free to forward this email to your coworkers!  Since your company is a member of the Plastics Industry Association, everyone on your team can create their own account and access member benefits.