Paul joined UKRI in 2020 as Director for the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge programme Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge, a £60 million, 5-year programme that represents the largest ever UK government investment in sustainable plastics research and innovation. He has over 20 years’ experience in the field of plastics, most recently with SABIC where he was responsible for European market development for flexible packaging resins and was active in driving forward both mechanical and chemical recycling solutions for plastics packaging. Prior to joining SABIC, Paul spent 11 years at WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) running a number of major plastics recycling programmes including the development of food grade HDPE and PP recycling capacity in the UK. Paul holds a first degree in Materials Science and Technology from Brunel University and a PhD in the processing of PET from Loughborough University.