Keynote Speaker
Don Loepp, Editor, Plastics News
Biography: Don Loepp joined Plastics News as a staff reporter in 1991 after working for daily newspapers in Wisconsin and Virginia for eight years. He was promoted to Plastics News' news editor in 1993, managing editor in 1995, and editor in 2011. He leads the largest and most experienced editorial team in the North American plastics market. He's also editorial director of Crain's Global Polymer Group, with responsibility for brands including Sustainable Plastics, Rubber News, Tire Business, and Urethanes Technology International. He earned a journalism degree from Northwestern University in 1983 and lives in suburban Detroit.
State of the Plastics Industry
The Age of Plastics, which started a little more than 100 years ago, is seeing massive changes and challenges in 2022. Just two years ago, at the onset of a global pandemic, much of the economy shut down. But plastic injection molders stayed open, making critically needed PPE, medical equipment, packaging, and other products needed to battle COVID-19. When the economy reopened, the plastics industry quickly adjusted, but with many challenges, including material shortages, supply chain disruptions, and worker shortages. Meanwhile, massive changes are underway to make plastics a more sustainable part of a circular global economy. Plastics News Editor Don Loepp will talk about how the industry is dealing with these changes and how it's changing. He'll draw on his experience leading the Plastics News editorial team for more than 30 years, including visiting some of the industry's best companies for the newspaper's Processor of the Year award.