Society of the Plastics Industry

Founded in 1937, SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association represents the third largest manufacturing sector in the United States. SPI's members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain in the US, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers, raw materials suppliers and recyclers. The US plastics industry employs more than 900,000 workers and provides more than $379 billion in annual shipments (2006).

SPI produces the triennial global trade show NPE, one of the world's largest and most important plastics industry events.

SPI publishes significant statistical reports on the U.S. plastics industry, including:

• The Size and Impact of the Plastics Industry on the U.S Economy
• Global Business Trends, Partners, Hot Products and
• Committee on Equipment Statistics Annual and Quarterly Reports.

SPI also publishes plastics industry data sheets for every state in the USA.

SPI introduced its Resin Identification Code in 1988 at the urging of recyclers around the country. This system was introduced to make separation of the many similar-appearing plastic resin types easier for recycling centers across the country. There was no federal legislation or program to mandate these symbols, though many states have now adopted legislation that mandate its use.

Bioplastics Division

SPI's Bioplastics Division provides a forum for resin and additive suppliers, as well as processors and equipment suppliers, to promote the development of bioplastics as an integral part of the plastics industry. The six founding member companies of the group are Arkema, BASF Corporation, Cereplast Inc., DuPont, NatureWorks LLC and Telles (a Metabolix/ADM joint venture).

External links

• To promote the advancement of plastics machinery manufacturing industry
• SPI's triennial global trade show: NPE
• myPlasticsindustry.com
• Plastics Data Source