The Future of Plastics: Futures & Foresight workshop delivered in collaboration with The Retail Institute at Leeds Beckett Univeristy.

The plastics sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by regulatory developments, sustainability imperatives, technological innovation, and evolving consumer expectations. In such a rapidly changing environment, organisations increasingly need structured approaches to anticipate future developments and develop resilient strategies. This workshop introduces Futures & Foresight methodologies, widely used by governments, international organisations, and industry leaders to explore emerging trends, identify strategic risks and opportunities, and support long-term decision-making. It builds on work undertaken by the British Plastics Federation in 2025 through Collaborative Groups for the Future of Packaging.

About the Workshop

Futures & Foresight provides a systematic framework for understanding complex systems and exploring multiple plausible futures. By examining technological, environmental, economic, and societal drivers of change, the approach helps organisations move beyond short-term planning and develop long-term strategies that are robust under conditions of uncertainty. This workshop aims to develop a 10-year-long vision for plastics and packaging system, mapping systemic interdependencies. Within the plastics and packaging system, foresight tools can help organisations to:

• Identify emerging regulatory, technological, and market developments

• Understand interdependencies across the plastics value chain

• Explore alternative future scenarios for materials, manufacturing, and circularity

• Translate insights into practical strategic actions

The session will combine expert facilitation with structured group exercises designed to stimulate long-term, systems-based thinking.

Workshop Format and Audience

This is an interactive workshop with a limited number of participants (max 20) to enable meaningful discussion and collaborative exploration. The session is designed for senior professionals and decision-makers in plastics firms. Participants will work collaboratively to examine potential future trajectories for the plastics industry and identify actions that can be pursued at both organisational and industry levels.

Workshop Objectives

Participants will: • Develop strategic foresight skills to support long-term planning and decision-making • Stimulate innovative thinking and systemic problem solving within the plastics value chain • Explore future scenarios shaped by regulatory change, sustainability goals, and technological innovation • Identify areas where collective industry action could support sector resilience and competitiveness • Integrate long-term environmental, social, and economic considerations into strategic planning

Benefits of Participation

Applying Futures & Foresight approaches enables organisations to strengthen their capacity to anticipate disruption, identify emerging opportunities, and shape desirable future outcomes. For leaders in the plastics sector, this workshop offers a structured opportunity to step back from operational pressures, engage with peers across the industry, and collaboratively explore the future trajectory of plastics within evolving sustainability and policy landscapes.

Description supplied by the event organiser.