Equiplast 2026 Launches Inaugural Rethinking Plastic Congress Covering Recycling, Advanced Materials and Digitalization

Equiplast 2026, running June 2 to 5 at Fira de Barcelona, will inaugurate its own congress — Rethinking Plastic — featuring more than 30 sessions, over 100 speakers, and participation from 20-plus organizations in the Spanish plastics ecosystem. The program is structured around four axes: circular economy, recycling, advanced materials, and digitalization. Day one addresses sustainability, the Strategic Plan for the Plastics Sector, packaging reuse, waste valorization, microplastics regulation, and the OCS (Operation Clean Sweep) pellets program, with ESPLASTICOS, Anaip, PlasticsEurope, AEQT, CREC, Veolia, and Reyde Grupo Armando Alvarez among participants. Day two covers mechanical and chemical recycling innovations across packaging and automotive sectors, with AIMPLAS, Fundacion Gaiker, and ANARPLA. Day three focuses on advanced materials — biopolyurethanes for buildings, compostable agricultural solutions, healthcare applications — and culminates in the Equiplast Recognition awards. Day four tackles digitalization: automation, robotics, industrial traceability, digital product passports, and 4.0 integration, with AER and CEEC among participants. Equiplast will also present an expanded sector study covering 3,700-plus companies with a first-ever Europe benchmark. The fair draws 400-plus exhibitors from 16 countries (+12%) and co-hosts with Expoquimia for a combined 800-plus exhibitors and 21,000 expected professionals.