The industry's future is in good hands

Plastics News' Rising Stars class of 2022 is the largest and most diverse bunch yet. The Feb. 28 issue highlights 50 of the plastics industry's future leaders, movers and shakers. From presidents and managers to scientists and engineers, this year's Rising Stars, with ages ranging from 22-35, prove the plastics industry's future is bright.

The Rising Stars were asked questions ranging such as how they got into the industry — some followed in a family member's steps, while others stumbled into it by chance — what challenges they have faced over the last few years, what the industry should do to increase diversity and inclusion efforts, what emerging technology they're most interested in and what their philosophies are on sustainability. They were also asked to complete a series of multiple-choice questions.

A Gallup report released at the end of 2021 found younger workers' careers have been more affected negatively by the pandemic vs. older workers and that employees under age 40 have experienced more stress and anger and lower engagement and overall well-being than older workers. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, 34.5 percent of Rising Stars said they are more stressed, 15.5 percent said they are less stressed and 50 percent said they have about the same amount of stress.

The most common challenges faced by this year's Rising Stars, overwhelmingly, are related to supply chain headaches, a shortage of skilled labor, lack of travel to customers and work-life balance.

"The biggest impact/challenge from the pandemic has certainly been the limited contact with colleagues in different locations," said Elvis Cudjoe, senior research and development for Avient Corp. "As much as Avient had one of our best years in 2021 amid the pandemic, the lack of physical interaction with coworkers and 'virtual camaraderie' can at times have [an] effect on productivity and energy."

Asked what is their preferred work situation, 15.5 percent preferred to exclusively work from home, 29.3 percent said they prefer to work at the office — or manufacturing floor — and 55.2 percent preferred a hybrid schedule with a mix of both.

Sustainability and climate change were also hot topics among this year's class of millennials and Generation Z. When it comes to the future of the environment and climate change, only 3.5 percent said they are "not worried," compared with 38.6 percent who said they are "very worried" and 57.9 percent who are "at least somewhat worried."

There has been much debate around companies' roles in protecting the environment. The entire group said companies have at least some responsibility: 22.4 percent said companies have "some responsibility," while 77.6 percent of respondents believe companies have "a great deal" of responsibility.

"I personally believe there are a lot of layers to plastic sustainability. I'm a big believer that the plastics industry is making valuable advancements in sustainability, but I also believe that we can do more," said Brett Soulliere, account manager at Nexeo Plastics. "Plastic sustainability has been an important conversation for a while now, but the solution of 'how do we get there' is still relatively new and evolving. Like all new solutions, there are questions on cost and profitability, which can lead to some hesitance from all parties involved. The only way [to] improve plastic sustainability is to keep researching and developing efficient solutions that meet our common goal."

Kyle Staffhorst, a process engineer at PTI Engineered Plastics, said his philosophy on plastics and sustainability is that "we, as manufacturers of plastic goods, need to accept a greater responsibility in the minimalization of plastic waste."

But despite all the obstacles both in the workplace and in daily life, the Rising Stars are quite hopeful and eager for what's next — nearly 95 percent of respondents said they are optimistic about the future, with 5 percent saying they are pessimistic or unsure — which is positive considering they are the future.

We could only fit so much insight in these pages, but there is plenty more to see online at plasticsnews.com/topic/rising-stars. I can't wait to see where our Rising Stars will be in the coming years, and based on this year's bunch, I think the plastics industry is in good hands.

Vitick is the special projects editor for Plastics News.