The event brought together key stakeholders and opened new discussions on the key challenges and opportunities across the plastics landscape.
Members of the Birmingham Plastics Network and Stan's Cafe
The Birmingham Plastics Network (BPN) marked the formation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sustainable Plastics with a Parliamentary Reception on Wednesday 20 May.
Launched in October 2025, the APPG brings together a cross-party group of MPs and Peers in a shared commitment to furthering evidence-based discussions on the positive and negative impacts of plastics throughout their life cycle.
APPG Chair, Laurence Turner MP, spoke at the event, setting out a vision for the group, with additional speeches from BPN Academic Lead, Professor Andrew Dove, University of Birmingham, and Mary Creagh CBE MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, who outlined the government’s priorities and highlighted the scale of the challenge ahead.
Through the APPG and strong collaboration with stakeholders, we can support the UK to lead the way in building a more sustainable plastics system, one that creates jobs, drives green growth, and delivers materials that work for both people and the planet.
Professor Andrew Dove addresses the reception.
The event welcomed parliamentarians, policymakers, sector leaders and academic experts to celebrate the launch of the APPG and explore the key challenges and opportunities for plastics circularity across the plastics landscape. The BPN, as Secretariat to the APPG, gained insights from key stakeholders on which issues the group should prioritise and how to accelerate progress and collaboration across sectors, disciplines and communities.
Laurence Turner, Birmingham Northfield MP and APPG Chair, said: “Achieving a more sustainable future for plastics requires action from government, industry, academia and the public alike. Through the APPG and strong collaboration with stakeholders, we can support the UK to lead the way in building a more sustainable plastics system, one that creates jobs, drives green growth, and delivers materials that work for both people and the planet.”
Professor Andrew Dove, Academic Lead for the Birmingham Plastics Network and Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry, said: "Plastics are, in many ways, a material of extraordinary value. They’ve enabled advances in healthcare, reduced food waste, and supported modern life in countless ways.
But we are all acutely aware that the way we produce, use and dispose of plastics is not yet sustainable. The environmental consequences are visible, the public concern is real, and the need for systemic change is urgent. This APPG matters because no single part of the system can solve a problem of this scale alone. If we are serious about sustainable plastics, we must work across the system - between disciplines, sectors and perspectives - towards real progress."
The BPN showcased its multi-award-winning collaboration with Birmingham-based theatre company Stan's Cafe, with characters 'PET' and 'Boffin' on hand to poll attendees and inspire lively conversations in the room.
The BPN has a proven track record of engaging with government and industry on well-informed, evidence-based policy recommendations, including a 2024 Policy Commission report which called for a radical rethink of plastics policy. The APPG furthers this work, providing parliamentarians with access to the best available evidence to develop policies that protect both the environment and public health while supporting sustainable economic growth.
Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry
Staff profile for Andrew Dove, Professor in Chemistry at the University of Birmingham.
Professor of Science, Knowledge and Belief in Society
Biographical and contact for Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham.
Professor of Digital Particle Technology
Kit Windows-Yule is a Professor of Digital Particle Technology in the School of Chemical Engineering, working jointly with the School of Physics and Astronomy's Positron Imaging Centre.
