On 27 May, the Robopac plant in Castel San Pietro Terme, near Bologna, will host the round table "Plastic: from problem to resource? Innovation, responsibility and solutions for a more sustainable future in packaging". The initiative will bring together leading companies in the sector, representatives from academia and young professionals, with the aim of addressing the role of plastics in the transition towards more sustainable production models in a concrete and pragmatic way.
The event is part of the campaign “Plastic has changed. Change your mind about plastic” and seeks to strengthen dialogue across the entire value chain, fostering the creation of an integrated network oriented toward circular economy principles.
The discussion will start from a central question: is plastic really the problem, or is the issue the way it is designed, used and managed at the end of its life? Environmental dispersion, microplastics, waste management and CO₂ emissions are in fact closely linked to production and consumption models rather than to the material itself.
Speakers will include Alpla Italia Managing Director Tiziano Andreini; Robopac - Aetna Group Technical Director Gabriele Canini; Fulvio Confalonieri, Managing Director of Guztec Polymers; Andrea Zucchelli from the University of Bologna; and Moreno Busti, R&D Manager at Hipac. The round table will be moderated by Marco Fratoddi, journalist and expert in environmental issues.
The event aims to move beyond ideological oppositions and promote a reflection grounded in scientific evidence, industrial expertise and real-world case studies. In this context, companies will present the strategies they have already adopted to combine sustainability, innovation and competitiveness, demonstrating how plastic - when properly managed - can be a resource rather than a problem.
Widely used in packaging, plastic offers performance that is difficult to replace in many applications, from food preservation to product protection along the logistics chain. Its lightness also helps reduce transport-related emissions. When integrated into efficient circular systems, it can deliver competitive environmental performance thanks to advances in recycling and reduced energy consumption in production processes.
During the event, concrete solutions already being implemented across the supply chain will be presented. These include design-for-recycling approaches that enable the development of packaging that is easier to recover without compromising functionality or aesthetics; the growing use of recycled materials such as rPET, which significantly reduces emissions compared to virgin materials; and integrated production models, such as in-house lines that eliminate transport between suppliers and customers, improving overall supply chain efficiency.
Special attention will also be given to training and communication. The sector requires increasingly advanced skills to navigate the complexity of the ecological transition, while transparent, data-driven communication is essential to avoid greenwashing and strengthen trust among citizens, customers and stakeholders. In this context, collaboration between schools, universities and companies becomes strategic for developing the new professional profiles the industry needs.
The event will take place inside the Robopac plant, the main brand of Aetna Group and an international reference point for end-of-line automation technologies. The day will conclude with a guided tour of the facilities, giving participants the opportunity to observe advanced production processes and cutting-edge technological solutions up close.
The participation of Alpla confirms the company’s commitment to promoting a responsible approach to plastic management. When integrated into a circular and well-structured supply chain, plastic can indeed contribute meaningfully to environmental sustainability and economic development.
