In 19 June, Eva Bejarano, Head of Tenders and Standardization at AIMPLAS, was elected new Chair of the UNE Committee on Plastics and Rubber (CTN 53), whose Secretary is ANAIP, at the meeting of this committee's plenary, which also presented the work of all the subcommittees and working groups that make up the committee, and approved the corresponding rules and work plan.
With more than 30 years of experience in R&D and in technological services in the field of plastic processing materials and technologies at AIMPLAS, Bejarano is taking over for Santos Santolino, who worked on standards for plastics for almost 60 years and has been the president of CTN 53 since 2015. Early this year, he announced his intention to retire, which triggered the process to find a replacement.
Santos Santolino explains that "the standardization of plastics and rubber in Spain was formally initiated in the 60s with the creation of the UNE Committee for the Standardization of Plastics and Rubber (CTN 53), which has been one of the most active committees since its inception, with the highest number of standards published".
ANAIP has managed the committee since its creation. The association is a member of UNE, its Board of Directors and the Standing Committee.
Eva Bejarano, who has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Valencia and a master's degree in Science and Technology from CSIC, will take over the presidency, becoming the first woman to hold this post. Her intention is to continue promoting standardization in the plastics sector, which in recent years has focused on the areas of reuse, recycling and use of recycled materials to promote the circular economy and the sustainability of the sector; as well as the continuous improvement of the quality of plastic products.
For Eva Bejarano, "standardization helps solve the challenges facing society in relation to plastics, to improve the quality of life of people and to ensure environmental sustainability". Her commitment to this area is evident in her promotion of the creation of a specific department to coordinate the standardization activity in AIMPLAS, which she leads. "Participation in standardization activities is fully consistent with the mission of AIMPLAS. This is how we contribute to the competitiveness and safety of companies and to protecting people and the environment", says Bejarano.
In addition to Eva Bejarano's election as president, Joaquín Lahoz was re-elected to his position as the committee's vice-president. Lahoz is an expert in plastic tubing systems at CEIS, a testing, innovation and services centre, where he has been active in different areas since 2011 and is currently the Chairman of the UNE Committee on Plastic Tubing and Accessories (CTN 53/SC 2).
Standardization is the foundation of quality, a pillar for the plastics sector that helps companies be more competitive, and that ANAIP promotes and develops. In 2022 alone, the committee held 39 meetings, published more than 80 standards and processed 50 projects. It currently has over 390 members from 145 entities.
In the photo, Eva Bejarano, new chair of the Technical Committee for the Standardization of Plastics and Rubber, together with outgoing president Santos Santolino and Joaquín Lahoz, who was re-elected as its Vice-President.
