20. Apr 2022
With consumers and regulators focusing more than ever on the materials we use and how they are disposed of, innovators are revolutionising food packaging, plastic production, and approaches to recycling and waste. The Rethinking Materials Summit reveals 26 start-ups set to shake up the supply chain when they take to the summit stage in London on May 4-5.
“Connecting innovators with investors and corporate partners is one of the greatest opportunities we have at Rethinking Materials. The full value chain must work together to tackle plastic pollution and we’re excited to create moments that spark those vital collaborations” says Ellen McLeay, the summit’s Senior Conference Producer and Technology Scout.
Entrepreneurs at the cutting edge of innovation will present solutions including fully biodegradable PHA polymers, edible coatings preventing food waste, AI-enabled waste sortation, and engineered enzymes that breakdown plastics.
Eight innovators will present their solutions to our industry panels during a five-minute pitch followed by a Q&A.
The first Technology Showcase introduces four start-ups focused on ‘Innovation in Raw Materials’, sharing their sustainable, high-performance materials of the future, with investors from AIIM Partners and Founders’ Factory. The second Technology Showcase is focused on ‘Innovation for Reuse, Recyclability, Sortation and Circularity’, handing the mic to four start-ups addressing the problem of plastic waste, with investors from PA Consulting and Archipelago.
Jamie Stone, Design Strategy, Sustainability and Innovation Expert at PA Consulting said “Innovation in the plastics and packaging sectors is an absolute necessity. New and coming regulatory action, coupled with changing recycling technology are forcing a re-evaluation of materials of all kinds, plastics included. When that is coupled with consumer pressure, corporate commitments, and an appetite for alternatives to plastic, innovation is a critical element.”
Innovators are a critical part of the conversation, and the summit spotlights industry talent as entrepreneurs share their perspectives in panels alongside major retailers, CPG brands, investors, producers and converter, regulators, and established technology companies:
Meet hundreds of materials and packaging pioneers at Rethinking Materials in London (and online) on May 4-5. The summit will bring together the full value chain for two days of high-impact networking and knowledge exchange to accelerate circular solutions in plastics & packaging and turn the tide on plastic pollution.
The full programme, speaking faculty and delegate registration are available now at www.rethinkingmaterials.com