Plastics News
Upcoming Industry Events:
Plastics News Executive Forum
March 21 – 23, 2022
Naples, Florida
Register Here: https://web.cvent.com/event/ac18b9ca-eb0d-4766-af8c-2f6e7b02ee4f/summary
Current Trending Topics in the News with Links to Articles:
- Governmental and Lobbying:
EPA, wrestling with plastic waste, gets an earful on chemical recycling
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/epa-wrestling-plastic-waste-gets-earful-chemical-recycling
As the Environmental Protection Agency grapples with how to meet its goal of a 50 percent U.S. recycling rate by 2030, it’s wading through some starkly different viewpoints on what role chemical recycling should play.
It’s a hot button topic. The plastics industry says chemical recycling could “transform” plastics recycling rates and help industry innovate to handle difficult packaging that today essentially has to be landfilled.
But for environmentalists, chemical recycling is a dead-end that will increase air pollution and hurt efforts to cut back on single-use plastics.
EPA heard those points of view and others loudly in recent weeks, after announcing in September it was starting a formal process asking how it should regulate pyrolysis and gasification, two key technologies in chemical recycling.
- Features and News Articles:
In November, PET pricing goes in a surprising direction
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/pet-bottle-resin-prices-rise-surprising-4-cents-pound
PET prices took a surprising turn in November, following the lead of resin feedstocks paraxylene and purified terephthalic acid.
PET demand typically declines late in the year as temperatures cool off and beverage sales level off, making it more difficult for PET makers to raise prices. But in November, prices for PET bottle resin moved up 4 cents per pound on the Plastics News resin pricing chart.
Manufacturers concerned about workforce, optimistic about 2022, Marcum report says
More than two-thirds of respondents to a new manufacturing survey said recruitment is their biggest concern going into 2022.
Another 40 percent were concerned about workforce training, and about 34 percent were worried about retirements. Health care costs were also a concern for 37 percent of respondents, and 31 percent had their eyes on higher taxes.
Still, despite challenges, 77 percent of respondents said they were optimistic about the coming year, according to the 2021 Marcum National Manufacturing Survey. And about 80 percent were expecting higher revenues.
Resin pricing dominated top headlines of 2021
https://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/resin-pricing-dominated-top-headlines-2021
The results are in, and Plastics News readers were overwhelmingly interested in one topic in 2021: resin pricing.
That’s a big change from 2020, when COVID-19 dominated my list of the most popular headlines on PlasticsNews.com. COVID stories finished well down the list this year.
- Recycling
The definition of ‘sustainability’ often depends on who is speaking
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/definition-sustainability-often-depends-who-speaking
Different companies and people can legitimately have different views on what successful sustainability efforts look like, according to a senior director at one plastics industry trade group.
“It’s a complex system of ever-evolving factors and focuses. And no one is doing it perfectly. And no one has it all figured out, and that’s OK,” said Patrick Krieger, senior director of sustainability and materials at the Plastics Industry Association. “To paraphrase that modern-day philosopher, Oprah Winfrey: ‘Run your own race.’
Research examines big company progress on plastic packaging waste
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/research-examines-big-company-progress-plastic-packaging-waste
All of the attention and pressure that have been brought to bear on plastics packaging in recent years have led to a flood of environmental and sustainability goals.
But just how are companies, both individually and overall, advancing toward these ambitions?
Many firms in recent years have set goals tied to 2025 and, sometimes, 2030. As 2021 turns into 2022, the time frame for achieving the 2025 ambitions grows shorter day by day.
Plastics Recycling World Magazine
Link to November/December 2021 Issue:
https://content.yudu.com/web/1rl19/0A42x3p/PRWNovDec21/html/index.html?origin=reader
(the publication does not permit hyperlinking to individual articles, but we list those articles of interest, below, so that you might refer to them)
Current Trending Topics:
Chemical Recycling Makes Global Progress
The number of projects for chemically recycling plastics waste continues to grow in Europe, North America and Asia. Here we review progress among technology start-ups and major polymer producers.
Advances in PET Depolymerisation
Recycling PET with mechanical technologies is well established, but a number of companies have developed depolymerization processes as alternatives.
Retail and Brand Must Make Sensible Packaging Decisions
Major CO2 targets were key in talks in Glasglow, but we need to focus on more rapid and achievable goals when it comes to packaging waste.
Keeping on Top of Quality in PCR Waste Streams
Plastics recycling can now rely on sophisticated inline control measurement systems to help adjust processes to produce high quality recyclates. Suppliers are also specializing in colour and sorting controls.
Upcoming Events:
Chemical Recycling
June 15 – 16, 2022
Marriott Hotel
Cologne, Germany
Plastics Recycling Technology
September 13 – 15, 2022
Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen
Vienna, Austria
