Plastics News
Current Trending Topics in the News with Links to Articles:
- Governmental and Lobbying:
Industry converges in NY over EPR bill it says would create de facto ban
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/de-facto-plastics-ban-new-york-epr-bill-spurs-lobbying-fight
Plastics companies and environmentalists converged on the New York legislature Jan. 28 as lawmakers restarted a debate on recycling and plastics waste that could be the industry’s biggest challenge in statehouses this year.
At issue is a bill that would set up an extended producer responsibility system for packaging and try to force a reduction in plastics packaging use by 30 percent over 12 years.
The Plastics Industry Association staged a lobbying fly-in in Albany, calling the plan a de facto plastics ban, while environmental and faith groups brought in 200 people to meet with lawmakers and rally in support.
The legislation nearly passed in 2024, only stalling in the state Assembly in the final hours of the session in June, after it had passed the Senate 37-23.
- Features and News Articles:
Resin prices end 2024 either lower or flat https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/resin-prices-end-2024-drop-or-flat
Commodity resin markets in North America ended 2024 with two price drops and three materials with flat pricing for December.
North American prices for polypropylene resin were down an average of 2.5 cents per pound for the month. That marked the fourth consecutive monthly price drop for the material, following a 3.5-cent decline in November and a combined drop of 10 cents in September/October. In December, as in the previous three months, the PP price decline followed a similar directional move for polymer-grade propylene feedstock.
Combined with previous increases and decreases, regional PP prices finished 2024 with a net price drop of 9 cents per pound. In a late November market report, PP supplier Blue Clover of New York said that the market “has seen a big pullback in PP operating rates the past couple of months.”
Material Insights: Price changes, extreme weather impact and an adjustment
https://www.plasticsnews.com/video/polyethylene-price-changes-extreme-weather-impact-and-adjustment
Polyethylene prices remained flat in December despite attempts to raise prices due to falling demand. More details in the video…
Recycled PET resin prices drop for the start of 2025
https://www.plasticsnews.com/resin-pricing/recycled-pet-resin-prices-down-start-2025
Prices for recycled PET pellets have decreased in North America due to seasonal demand.
According to market sources in discussion with Plastics News, prices for clear post-consumer PET pellets have decreased by 4 cents and green post-consumer pellets fell by 2 cents.
These pricing changes are being shown on this week’s PN resin pricing chart
“Prices are finally decreasing it feels like,” a resin distributor in Midwest said. “It’s common to see decreases this time of year.”
During the last quarter of 2024, recycled PET pellets saw unexpected increases due to hurricanes hitting the U.S., causing demand for bottled water and soft drinks to increase.
Sources were expecting a drop in pricing at the beginning of 2025 because winter months are known for a decrease in demand.
Numbers That Matter Live — January 2025: Plastics face inflation, economic volatility
https://www.plasticsnews.com/livestreams/plastics-face-inflation-economic-volatility
As we start 2025, the plastics industry is navigating significant economic challenges, including inflation, rising energy costs, and evolving market demands.
In the January Numbers that Matter editorial livestream, PN Economics Editor Bill Wood went into detail about the risks and opportunities facing North American plastics companies, starting with the potential for higher inflation because of rising energy, raw material and labor costs. Watch a recording of the program below.
“Well, just for context, inflation or price increases have resulted in higher interest rates, it’s either the Fed adjusting their Fed funds rate or the bond and treasuries market adjusting their yields through buying and selling supply and demand. So higher interest rates accompany higher inflation one way or the other and in the past couple of years, if you look at the data, the plastics industry … has not fared very well in a high interest rate environment,” Wood said.
Will 2025 bring an M&A surge to plastics?
https://www.plasticsnews.com/mergers-acquisitions/optimism-grows-plastics-ma-surge-2025
Plastics mergers and acquisitions deal volume showed moderate growth in 2024, as the market worked to find more steady results and to adjust to a higher interest rate environment.
For the full year, the number of plastics M&A deals registered at 401, up 5 percent from 2023, according to data compiled by P&M Corporate Finance of Southfield, Mich. First-half deal volume had been flat when compared with the same 2023 period.
Deal volume growth in the specialty subsector pushed plastics M&A into positive territory for 2024. That subsector, which includes machinery, specialty extrusion, and distribution, grew by 29 deals vs. the prior year.
European recycled resin prices mostly stable as demand disappoints
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/european-recycled-resin-prices-mostly-stable-demand-disappoints
Standard recycled resin prices either dipped slightly or were unchanged during the final month of 2024, and, with the exception of recycled PET, are being rolled over at the beginning of 2025.
In December, recycled PET prices fell by 10-15 euros per metric ton because of poor demand, good supply and lower cost of bottle scrap. Recycled PET prices are rising by 15-20 euros per tonne in January following an increase in the cost of bottle scrap and stock replenishment by converters.
- Recycling and Sustainability:
New Jersey urged to consider its own suit over recycling claims
https://www.plasticsnews.com/public-policy/ngos-push-new-jersey-sue-over-plastics-recycling-deception
New Jersey environmental groups want their state’s attorney general to follow California’s lead and sue the plastics industry over allegedly deceiving the public about the viability of plastics recycling.
Environment New Jersey, Clean Water Action, Beyond Plastics and others urged Attorney General Matt Platkin in a Jan. 9 letter to start his own investigation, saying that a legal settlement could provide significant money to governments to deal with plastics pollution.
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