Dr Sue Halliwell, Operations Manager, and Malcolm Forsyth, Sustainability Manager, at Composites UK discuss the group’s activities and achievements and consider future trends in composites sustainability.
What is Composites UK?
Composites UK is the UK trade association serving the national composites industry. The association represents more than 370 companies from across the supply chain.
Our key aim is to support companies in the UK to enable them to grow and succeed globally.
Parliamentary reception with key UK Government officials.
We run networking events to bring end users across all industry sectors and the supply chain together, offer technical support, advise on training and health and safety requirements, provide input to standards development and lobby governments on a variety of issues.
In essence, we are the voice of the UK composites industry.
What is your strategy?
The Composites UK strategy, with its foundations in our membership is structured around five key pillars essential to the growth and sustainability of the UK composites industry.
Policy focuses on influencing key areas, including net zero, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM), skills development, supply chain resilience, trade, and technological advancement. This enables us to support policy that strengthens the composites industry’s role in meeting national sustainability goals.
Supply Chain, focused through our Working Groups, encourages collaboration between industry and government to enhance engagement, streamline the supply chain, and foster a resilient composite materials network.
Workforce Development aims to build a skilled and diverse workforce. Through initiatives like the Skills Pledge, the strategy promotes Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), alongside showcasing composites as a forward-thinking sector for new talent.
Launch of the Composites UK Skills Pledge, September 2024.
Technology focuses on a Composites UK commitment to leadership in digital transformation and sustainability. This includes robotics, automation, AI, and ESG-aligned solutions, especially in emerging areas like glass fibre recycling, where industry-led innovation is needed.
Events & Exhibitions foster industry connections, provide networking opportunities and increased visibility for UK composites players, including a set of annual awards highlighting excellence in innovation, sustainability and manufacturing.
Composites UK Awards Dinner 2024.
Sustainability serves as the roof of the strategy, underpinning all areas with a commitment to environmental responsibility, decarbonisation and circularity.
The strategy’s structure supports Composites UK’s goal of establishing a strong, future-ready industry.
What are your key initiatives related to sustainability?
Our sustainability initiatives are based on a twin focus on decarbonisation and circularity, both of which are critical to ensuring a robust, future-ready UK Composites industry.
Key current initiatives are:
- upskilling the industry in LCA techniques and equipping members to advance their own decarbonisation journeys;
- leading the development of circular supply chains through consortium projects;
- sharing best practice in decarbonisation and circularity and learning from other industries further advanced with decarbonisation or circularity/recycling;
- emphasising to the UK government the essential contribution of composites to achieving net zero goals and our need for supportive legislation and financial incentives.
How does being a member of EuCIA assist you in your work?
Composites UK is a member of EuCIA to foster cross-European collaboration and influence policy relevant to the composites sector, and to maintain strong connections with European partners, especially after Brexit.
EuCIA’s focus on sustainability and circularity resonates with Composites UK’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Composites UK Pavilion at JEC World 2024.
Through EuCIA, Composites UK contributes to advancing industry-wide approaches to challenges like recycling composites and developing sustainable, high-performance materials.
This partnership enhances Composites UK’s capacity to lead initiatives relevant to its members and to continue representing the UK’s composites sector in European standards discussions, thus ensuring a cohesive approach to industry challenges across borders.
Where do you see your association in 10 years from now?
Over the next decade, Composites UK aims to lead the UK composites industry by setting standards and advancing goals aligned with government and industry priorities. The organisation will drive innovation in sustainability, focusing on achieving net zero through enhanced supply chain resilience, recycling, and digitalisation, including AI and automation.
By strengthening collaborations, Composites UK seeks to elevate the UK’s global standing, with an emphasis on policy influence, workforce development, and trade growth. By 2034, it aims to be the go-to resource for members, partners, and government, guiding sustainable technology and securing a central role in industry progress.
Further information: www.compositesuk.co.uk
Sue Halliwell
With a degree in Chemistry and MSc/PhD in durability of polymers, Sue Halliwell has considerable experience in the application and performance of FRP composites.
Sue joined Composites UK in 2013 as Operations Manager, reporting directly to the Board of Directors and working with the team to deliver a wide range of services and support to the membership. She is currently leading on initiatives to help member companies engage with the workforce of the future, such as the Skills Pledge launched in September 2024, and is developing resources to help improve equity, diversity and inclusion across the sector.
Malcolm Forsyth
Malcolm has been the Sustainability Manager at Composites UK since January 2021 
and brings a breadth of knowledge and experience to the Composites UK sustainability focus and activities. He has been involved in the composites market for over 25 years, holding a series of executive roles at resin supplier Scott Bader with responsibility for business unit performance, global strategy and ultimately sustainability, leading the development of a 20-year sustainability vision and action plan for Scott Bader in 2017.
Since 2019, Malcolm has been providing consultancy services in strategy and sustainability and is an associate consultant of the Sustainable Growth Associates pan-European network.
