The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), as part of its ongoing sustainability efforts, has announced the formation of a Community Impact Task Group by its Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP) Committee. FLiP is dedicated to fostering association involvement and professional development among plastics professionals under the age of 40.

The mission of the Community Impact Task Group is to foster collaboration among PLASTICS member companies and external organizations to further plastics industry efforts on behalf of the environment and the communities in which the industry operates.

“In observation of Earth Day 2022, our FLiP members are excited to announce this new project that supports Earth Day’s purpose of preserving our planet,” said Jon Smalling, FliP Chair and Director of Sales, Automation, at Nalle Automation Systems. “Those of us in the plastics industry are committed to programs that help protect the world we live in. This cause is very important to our group as it provides the opportunity to give back to local communities and do our part to remove litter and mismanaged trash from our environment.”

The Community Impact Task Group is chaired by Madeline Kline, Regional Manager of East Coast Sales for Gardner Business Media. Kline’s staff liaison at PLASTICS is Heather Nortz, Manager of Sustainability & Materials for the association.

The task group’s first project will be a litter cleanup taking place during the PLASTICS Fall Meeting and National Conference, which is being held in Asheville, North Carolina, from September 20-23, 2022. Anyone attending the event will be invited to participate.

The FLiP cleanup has also been planned in proximity to World Cleanup Day (September 17) to help call attention to other cleanup efforts worldwide and further opportunities for environmental awareness and education.