The fourth edition of the OkPlast International Seminar on Plastics Legislation, organised by Spanish plastics technology centre Aimplas (Valencia; www.aimplas.net) will take place in Valencia, Spain, from 24-25 May 2023, focusing on legislative trends and international developments in plastics.

The first day will address the European Commission’s Proposal for Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation published on 30 March 2022, the European Green Deal, the draft global plastics treaty including a statement of Plastics Europe (Brussels; www.plasticseurope.org), and draft EU legislation on microplastics, among others.

The Spanish Law on Waste and Contaminated Soil will also be discussed, along with the new Spanish tax on non-reusable plastic packaging, which came into force on 1 January 2023, and different strategies to minimise the impact of polymers through the use of recycled materials and reusable solutions. This will be followed by a block devoted solely to the REACH Regulation.

On the second day, topics include eco-labels and product certifications to communicate product sustainability (eg recycled content, biodegradability, compostability) and warn of the dangers of greenwashing. A session on food contact plastics will discuss the challenges and opportunities of recycled materials, the challenge test, non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), the case of paper and cardboard, and applications in sectors such as cosmetics.