The conference programme of Plast 2026 focuses on the most important issues for the plastics and rubber industry. The four-day agenda includes meetings prepared in cooperation with institutions, trade associations, research centres and representatives of successive links in the value chain. The events will be open to both exhibitors and visitors throughout the show. The topics include industrial competitiveness, sustainability, recycling, processing technologies, regulatory challenges and digitalisation. Some of the institutional conferences will be held in the Conference Hall in Hall 24, where simultaneous interpretation into English will be available. Additional sessions are also scheduled in the Exhibitor Arena in Hall 11, in Italian.
Plast 2026 will take place from 9 to 12 June 2026 at Fiera Milano in Rho near Milan. Organised by Promaplast, the trade fair is dedicated to machinery and equipment for plastics and rubber processing, as well as next-generation raw materials for the production of semi-finished and finished products. According to the organisers, the event is also intended to serve as a platform for developing new business relationships. Opening hours are scheduled from 9:30 to 18:00.
Key points of the programme
On 9 June, from 14:30 to 16:30, the conference titled "Plastics, public enemy or scapegoat?" will take place. The meeting has been prepared in cooperation with Ipackima and Largo Consumo. The discussion is to address changes affecting the packaging sector, from regulatory pressure to opportunities arising from the circular economy, taking into account the perspective of large-scale retail operators.
On 10 June, from 10:00 to 12:30, the National Plastics Value Chain Summit is scheduled, devoted to dialogue between institutions and industry on competitiveness and circularity. The co-organisers are Amaplast, Corepla, IPPR, PlasticsEurope Italia-Federchimica, Unionplast and The European House Ambrosetti. The aim of the conference is to discuss the strategic role of the plastics value chain in Italy's manufacturing system and the conditions needed to strengthen its competitiveness and circularity.
On the same day, from 14:30 to 15:30, the session "Mould temperature and product quality" will be held, prepared in cooperation with TMP, Associazione Tecnici delle Materie Plastiche. The topic will be the relationship between mould temperature, conditioning and part quality, with particular attention to the impact of these factors on the properties of moulded components.
On 11 June, from 10:00 to 13:00, the fifth edition of the annual meeting "Mechanical recycling of plastics, 2025 report. Protection, to regenerate the system" is scheduled, organised with Assorimap. During the event, updated national data on the production of secondary raw materials from post-consumer waste through 2025 are to be presented, together with regulatory issues and traceability guarantees supporting the mechanical recycling sector.
Also on 11 June, from 10:00 to 12:00, the Italian-language session "Circularity and AI for the competitiveness of the rubber industry" will take place in the Exhibitor Arena in Hall 11, carried out with Assogomma. The organisers indicate that the rubber industry is facing a dual transition, towards more circular production models and towards processes increasingly supported by artificial intelligence. The meeting is intended to combine the achievements of Italian academic research with an industrial perspective.
On the same day, from 14:30 to 16:00, another Italian-language session will be held in the Exhibitor Arena in Hall 11, "Traceability and digital product passport, the Plastic Second Life case", prepared with IPPR. The meeting will focus on the opportunities offered by digital tools, such as blockchain and immutable registries, in terms of traceability and data management within an accredited product certification scheme, namely Plastica Seconda Vita.
Also on 11 June, from 14:30 to 16:00, the conference "Competing in plastics today, operational efficiency, compliance and supply chain digitalisation" is scheduled, organised jointly with Made Competence Center I4.0. The programme includes issues related to digital and sustainable transformation, the integration of factory technologies with decision-making systems, as well as the security of connected infrastructures and new regulatory requirements associated with industrial digitalisation.
On 12 June, from 10:00 to 13:00, the conference "Plastics in construction, the PVC case" will take place, prepared with PVC Forum Italia. The programme is to cover the role of PVC in the construction sector, taking into account the market, application benefits, sustainability and circular economy prospects within this value chain.
Partners and organisational information
The sponsors of the Conference Hall are Cesap and IIP. Detailed information about the event is available at www.plastonline.org.
