GPCA PlastiCon focuses on the core technical and commercial aspects of the plastics value chain. The 11th edition will showcase latest trends and innovations shaping the industry, in addition to the regulations that promote a circular economy.

The conference will bring various stakeholder groups from the plastics industry which will include regulators, converters, brand owners, academia, waste management companies , start-ups, think-tanks and NGOs to work towards a shared vision of circular economy that will reap greater benefits for the industry and environment in the future.

Wednesday 18 March 2020 | Day 1

08.00 – 09:00

Registration and welcome coffee

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:00 – 09:10

Curtain raiser video

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:10 – 09:25

Opening remarks

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

09:25 – 09:45

Building stronger communities through a circular economy

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

09:45 – 10:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

10:05 – 10:35

Networking break

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

Session 1: Recycling and the future of plastics

10:35 – 10:55

Unlocking non-conventional applications of plastics waste

  • Using plastic waste as feedstock for alternate use
  • Identifying new avenues and markets for productive use of plastics waste

Conference session

Presented by:
https://gpcaplastics.com
Dr. Maurits van Tol

SVP, Innovation and Technology, Borealis

10:55 – 11:15

Capturing value from waste

  • Addressing the challenges with waste flows and potential for material recovery
  • Outlining the various technologies to identify viable recycling methods
  • Case study on a successful project in GCC

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ronald Richa
Industrial Business Development Director, Veolia

11:15 – 11:35

Best in class methods to improve waste collection and source segregation

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Annie Weisbrod
Principal Scientist, Global Product Stewardship – Environmental Sustainability, Procter & Gamble

11:35 – 12:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Panel

12:05 – 13:30

Networking lunch and prayer

Social networking

Sponsored by:
saudi-polymers

Session 2: Innovations in the plastic industry

14:00 – 14:45

Masterclass 1: Design for Recycling

Moving beyond waste and adopting a circular model is a key challenge for both companies and regulators involved. A strategy needs to be put in place to address the issue of waste collection. Investment in R&D to enhance packaging design is key. Value chain partners such as brand owners, designers, and producers will share existing examples to demonstrate high performance of recycled material and  end-of-life recyclability.

Conference session

Panellist:
null
Ed Roberts
Regional Sustainability Director EMEA, Sealed Air
null
Khalil Fadda
GM – Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Central Asia, Ampacet Corporation

14:45 – 15:30

Masterclass 2: Chemical recycling: Packaging waste into pure virgin-quality recycled material

  • Novel technologies involved in chemical recycling globally
  • Evaluating new opportunities for integrating chemically recycled plastic material into end products
  • Opening new markets for recovered material

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Wael Ismail
Senior Director, Public Policy, Government and Corporate Affairs – MENA, PepsiCo, Inc.

15:30 – 15:50

Networking break

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Lorraine Francourt
EHS Director, Chemicals Management and Circular Economy, The Dow Chemicals

Session 3: Opportunities and challenges for producers in the GCC

15:50 – 16:35

Masterclass 3: The impact of new olefins and polymer capacities in the Middle East

  • US ethane-based cracker investments
  • China’s refinery-based cracker and PDH projects
  • Competitiveness of China’s new coal, methanol, ethane, LPG and naphtha-based crackers
  • Positioning of Middle Eastern producers

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Sarah Rae
VP Olefins and Derivatives, Argus Media

16:35 – 16:45

Closing of the conference day 1

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Muayad Al-Faresi
Global Business Director – PET, EQUATE

19:00 – 19:45

Seminar: Enabling a circular economy through youth initiatives

Panel

19:45 – 21:00

Gala dinner

Social networking

Sponsored by:
Borouge

Thursday 19 March 2020 | Day 2

08:00 – 09:00

Registration and welcome coffee

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:00 – 09:05

Recap of day 1

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:05 – 09:25

Keynote 1: Adding value to businesses: Role of the national programme in supporting SMEs in UAE

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan
GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, SABIC

09:25 – 09:45

Keynote 2: Transforming the plastics downstream industry through digitalization

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan
GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, SABIC

09:45 – 10:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan
GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, SABIC

10:05 – 10:45

Panel discussion: Rethinking the future of plastics packaging – Moving towards a circular economy approach

Conference session

Panelists:
null
Omar Bennis
Director of Public Affairs and Communications, The Coca-Cola Company Middle East
null
Sivakumar Shanmugavel
Regional Safety Security Health Environment Manager, Nestle Middle East and North Africa
null
Priya Sarma
Senior Sustainability Manager MENA, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Turkey, Unilever

10:45 – 11:05

Networking break

Social networking

Sponsored by:
saudi-polymers

Session 4: Creating value through circular economy

11:05 – 11:25

Driving value for the GCC plastics downstream industry

  • Establishing value parks for easy access to raw materials and export opportunities
  • Building an ecosystem that enables collaborate-to-innovate

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Maitha Al-Marashi
VP, Sustainability, Borouge

11:25 – 11:45

Adhesives and coatings as enablers of circular economy in packaging and consumer goods

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Sunil Kumar
Business Director of Packaging Division (Adhesive Technologies) – India, Middle East and Africa, Henkel Adhesives Technologies

11:45 – 12:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Panel

Session 5: Regional updates

12:05 – 12:25

New and upcoming regulatory changes impacting the regional plastic industry

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Wim de Vos
CEO, Campine

12:25 – 12:45

A new dawn for waste management in KSA

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Michael Hahl
Sustainability and Strategic Innovation Director, Flexible Packaging, Huhtamaki

12:45 – 13:10

Panel discussion and Q&A

Panel

13:10 – 13:25

Closing remarks

Conference session

Presented by:
https://gpcaplastics.com
Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun
Secretary General, GPCA

13:25 – 14:30

Networking lunch and prayer

Social networking

Sponsored by:
SABIC

14:00 – 14:05

Opening remarks

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

14:05 – 14:25

Benefits of shifting to a circular economy, including adherence to GCC national visions

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Dr. Raed AlZubi
ME Partner, Townsend Solutions

14:25 – 15:00

Application level impact of sustainability initiatives, current and future

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

16:00 – 16:15

Update on global recycling initiatives

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

16:15 – 16:45

Technical solutions

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Peter Koueik
Regional Sales Manager – MENA, Starlinger & Co. Gesellschaft m.b.H

16:45 – 17:00

Closing remarks

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

**Please note that this workshop is dedicated for converters only

Workshop partner:
18 March 2020

Wednesday 18 March 2020 | Day 1

08.00 – 09:00

Registration and welcome coffee

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:00 – 09:10

Curtain raiser video

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:10 – 09:25

Opening remarks

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

09:25 – 09:45

Building stronger communities through a circular economy

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

09:45 – 10:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

10:05 – 10:35

Networking break

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ahmed Omar Abdulla

CEO, Borouge and Chairman, Plastics Committee, GPCA

Session 1: Recycling and the future of plastics

10:35 – 10:55

Unlocking non-conventional applications of plastics waste

  • Using plastic waste as feedstock for alternate use
  • Identifying new avenues and markets for productive use of plastics waste

Conference session

Presented by:
https://gpcaplastics.com
Dr. Maurits van Tol

SVP, Innovation and Technology, Borealis

10:55 – 11:15

Capturing value from waste

  • Addressing the challenges with waste flows and potential for material recovery
  • Outlining the various technologies to identify viable recycling methods
  • Case study on a successful project in GCC

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Ronald Richa
Industrial Business Development Director, Veolia

11:15 – 11:35

Best in class methods to improve waste collection and source segregation

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Annie Weisbrod
Principal Scientist, Global Product Stewardship – Environmental Sustainability, Procter & Gamble

11:35 – 12:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Panel

12:05 – 13:30

Networking lunch and prayer

Social networking

Sponsored by:
saudi-polymers

Session 2: Innovations in the plastic industry

14:00 – 14:45

Masterclass 1: Design for Recycling

Moving beyond waste and adopting a circular model is a key challenge for both companies and regulators involved. A strategy needs to be put in place to address the issue of waste collection. Investment in R&D to enhance packaging design is key. Value chain partners such as brand owners, designers, and producers will share existing examples to demonstrate high performance of recycled material and  end-of-life recyclability.

Conference session

Panellist:
null
Ed Roberts
Regional Sustainability Director EMEA, Sealed Air
null
Khalil Fadda
GM – Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Central Asia, Ampacet Corporation

14:45 – 15:30

Masterclass 2: Chemical recycling: Packaging waste into pure virgin-quality recycled material

  • Novel technologies involved in chemical recycling globally
  • Evaluating new opportunities for integrating chemically recycled plastic material into end products
  • Opening new markets for recovered material

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Wael Ismail
Senior Director, Public Policy, Government and Corporate Affairs – MENA, PepsiCo, Inc.

15:30 – 15:50

Networking break

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Lorraine Francourt
EHS Director, Chemicals Management and Circular Economy, The Dow Chemicals

Session 3: Opportunities and challenges for producers in the GCC

15:50 – 16:35

Masterclass 3: The impact of new olefins and polymer capacities in the Middle East

  • US ethane-based cracker investments
  • China’s refinery-based cracker and PDH projects
  • Competitiveness of China’s new coal, methanol, ethane, LPG and naphtha-based crackers
  • Positioning of Middle Eastern producers

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Sarah Rae
VP Olefins and Derivatives, Argus Media

16:35 – 16:45

Closing of the conference day 1

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Muayad Al-Faresi
Global Business Director – PET, EQUATE

19:00 – 19:45

Seminar: Enabling a circular economy through youth initiatives

Panel

19:45 – 21:00

Gala dinner

Social networking

Sponsored by:
Borouge
19 March 2020

Thursday 19 March 2020 | Day 2

08:00 – 09:00

Registration and welcome coffee

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:00 – 09:05

Recap of day 1

Sponsored by:
SABIC

09:05 – 09:25

Keynote 1: Adding value to businesses: Role of the national programme in supporting SMEs in UAE

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan
GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, SABIC

09:25 – 09:45

Keynote 2: Transforming the plastics downstream industry through digitalization

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan
GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, SABIC

09:45 – 10:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Dr. Waleed Ahmad Al-Shalfan
GM, Technology Petrochemicals SBU, SABIC

10:05 – 10:45

Panel discussion: Rethinking the future of plastics packaging – Moving towards a circular economy approach

Conference session

Panelists:
null
Omar Bennis
Director of Public Affairs and Communications, The Coca-Cola Company Middle East
null
Sivakumar Shanmugavel
Regional Safety Security Health Environment Manager, Nestle Middle East and North Africa
null
Priya Sarma
Senior Sustainability Manager MENA, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Turkey, Unilever

10:45 – 11:05

Networking break

Social networking

Sponsored by:
saudi-polymers

Session 4: Creating value through circular economy

11:05 – 11:25

Driving value for the GCC plastics downstream industry

  • Establishing value parks for easy access to raw materials and export opportunities
  • Building an ecosystem that enables collaborate-to-innovate

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Maitha Al-Marashi
VP, Sustainability, Borouge

11:25 – 11:45

Adhesives and coatings as enablers of circular economy in packaging and consumer goods

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Sunil Kumar
Business Director of Packaging Division (Adhesive Technologies) – India, Middle East and Africa, Henkel Adhesives Technologies

11:45 – 12:05

Panel discussion and Q&A

Panel

Session 5: Regional updates

12:05 – 12:25

New and upcoming regulatory changes impacting the regional plastic industry

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Wim de Vos
CEO, Campine

12:25 – 12:45

A new dawn for waste management in KSA

Conference session

Presented by:
null
Michael Hahl
Sustainability and Strategic Innovation Director, Flexible Packaging, Huhtamaki

12:45 – 13:10

Panel discussion and Q&A

Panel

13:10 – 13:25

Closing remarks

Conference session

Presented by:
https://gpcaplastics.com
Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun
Secretary General, GPCA

13:25 – 14:30

Networking lunch and prayer

Social networking

Sponsored by:
SABIC

14:00 – 14:05

Opening remarks

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

14:05 – 14:25

Benefits of shifting to a circular economy, including adherence to GCC national visions

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Dr. Raed AlZubi
ME Partner, Townsend Solutions

14:25 – 15:00

Application level impact of sustainability initiatives, current and future

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

16:00 – 16:15

Update on global recycling initiatives

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

16:15 – 16:45

Technical solutions

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Peter Koueik
Regional Sales Manager – MENA, Starlinger & Co. Gesellschaft m.b.H

16:45 – 17:00

Closing remarks

Converters workshop

Presented by:
null
Roberto Ribeiro
President, Townsend Solutions

**Please note that this workshop is dedicated for converters only

Workshop partner: