Nominations are open for the class of 2024 of the Plastics Hall of Fame.
"Membership in the Plastics Hall of Fame is the ultimate recognition of an individual's lifetime body of work whose dedication and exceptional achievements have contributed to the growth and prominence of the industry on a global scale," said Maureen Steinwall, a 2015 Hall of Fame inductee who has headed the organization since 2021.
"Our members represent all aspects of the plastics industry. They are researchers, scholars, innovators and designers of materials and products that answer societal needs, such as preserving food, preventing electrical shock, or protecting people from injury or disease. They are experts in sales and production. And they lead the industry in tackling the challenging issues such as sustainability," Steinwall said.
The hall currently has 218 members, including 42 living, five Nobel Prize winners in chemistry and more than 50 with doctoral degrees. Membership is open internationally, and nine countries are currently represented.
Nominations are open for both living and posthumous inductees. That's a change from how the Hall of Fame has worked in recent years.
Previously, the Hall of Fame inducted living members during NPE years and posthumous members in the prior year. But starting with the 2024 class, the Hall of Fame will accept nominations for all new members, living or dead.
"In prior years, the celebration was separate. But going forward, we will celebrate both living and posthumous in the same ceremony," Steinwall said. "Our goal is to have a ceremony every 18 months. The class of 2024 will be inducted on May 5, 2024, during NPE."
The Plastics Hall of Fame was founded in 1972 by Sid Gross, then-editor of Modern Plastics magazine. For many years the Hall of Fame was administered by the Plastics Academy, which was headed by Jay Gardiner. Gardiner died Oct. 15 after a battle with cancer.
The hall is now administered by the newly formed Plastics Hall of Fame Inc., a Delaware 501(c)3 corporation. It has 20 volunteers from the United States, Germany and Japan serving on three committees: events, nominations and communications.
The organization also recently completed a redesign of the Plastics Hall of Fame's website, at plasticshof.org. It includes profiles and photos of all members.
Criteria for membership include significant invention or breakthrough; development of an outstanding product, market, end-use niche or business endeavor; long and valuable service to the plastics industry; and constructive, collaborative action with industry-related groups.
Nominations are valid for four cycles, or six years. More information and downloadable nomination forms are available at plasticshof.org. No additional supporting material is required.