Plastics News
Upcoming Events:
Current Trending Topics in the News with Links to Articles:
- Governmental and Lobbying:
Biden endorses ‘ambitious’ plastics plan, less virgin resin production
President Joe Biden’s administration wants to address the doubling of plastic production and plastic waste globally in the last two decades and suggests a starting point will be limits on federal buying of single-use plastics.
A White House report released July 19 calls for phasing out single-use plastics in foodservice operations, events and packaging across the federal government by 2027, as part of much broader calls for government to do more.
Biden aides said that could include working to reduce global production and consumption of virgin plastics.
Kickstart: Weighing the impact of Chevron on plastics
https://www.plasticsnews.com/kickstart/weighing-impact-chevron-plastics
The plastics and chemicals industry has been unusually quiet about the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision to overrule Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council.
Their response seems kind of odd from industries that spend so much time talking about how overregulation is a major problem. Maybe they’re reluctant to do a victory lap. Or maybe they just don’t know yet how the ruling is going to change how they’ll be regulated.
You can sense the caution in a statement from Plastics Industry Association Communications Director Camille Gallo. In a statement to Packaging Dive, she said the Washington-based trade group expects the decision to overturn Chevron “to have broad and far-reaching implications for plastics manufacturers.”
She added that the association “will be monitoring the resulting repercussions to current and future litigation,” particularly in EPA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration law, “and working with its members on the ruling’s impacts.”
- Features and News Articles:
Recycled PET prices climb alongside summer temperatures
https://www.plasticsnews.com/resin-pricing/recycled-pet-prices-rise-seasonal-demand-heats
North American recycled PET pellets pricing is continuing to be affected by seasonal demand.
Sources in contact with Plastics News say recycled PET prices have increased by an average of 2.5 cents per pound.
Clear post-consumer PET pellet prices are up 3 cents per pound and green post-consumer pellets are up 2 cents. These price changes are shown on this week’s Plastics News resin pricing chart.
“With temperatures on average being elevated, folks are certainly consuming more cold beverages. With that comes an obvious increased demand,” said a manufacturer in New Hampshire. “But at the same time, you have the same supply.”
WEBINAR: Polymer Points Live July 2024: Big price increases on deck
(Webinar recording in article link)
https://www.plasticsnews.com/livestreams/resin-prices-could-see-large-increases
Most North American commodity resins were flat or up slightly in June, but the outlook for July and August could be for price increases.
In the July Polymer Points Live, senior reporter Frank Esposito said weather-related outages could help drive polyethylene and polypropylene prices higher, even though demand continues to be sluggish.
“Even though Hurricane Beryl did not have a huge physical impact on the [resin] plants, it did affect production,” Esposito said.
In June, prices for PE and polystyrene were flat. PVC and PET bottle resin were each up 1 cent per pound, and PP was up 2 cents.
PVC and PET prices have already settled for July, both are up 1 cent. But PE, PP and PS buyers may see higher prices, including additional margin on top of feedstock-related increases for PP.
Material Insights: Resin pricing changes, weather-related outages
(Video call recording in article link)
https://www.plasticsnews.com/video/resin-pricing-changes-weather-related-outages
PVC and PET resin buyers saw higher prices in June and July as producers recovered from shutdowns due to Hurricane Beryl, along with higher feedstock prices. Senior reporter Frank Esposito explains the latest moves, plus news on supply limits for high-impact polystyrene resins after a tornado touched down near a Joliet, Ill. production plant.
Mergers & Acquisition Tracker
Updated list of merger and acquisition deals within the plastics industry. Details include the buyer and the company or assets being purchased, along with a link to read more about each transaction.
- Recycling and Sustainability:
Circularity targets not working, says Wood Mackenzie
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/circularity-targets-not-working-says-wood-mackenzie
The plastics circular economy is not fulfilling its promises, analytics firm Wood Mackenzie has said in a new report.
In ‘Waste to wealth: unlocking circular value chains’, the company said that despite the rising tide of corporate commitments and regulatory targets, ‘the global economy remains wedded to an extractive, rather than circular, model’.
The report follows several announcements from brands moving their sustainability goal posts, including Shell and Unilever. Shell has said its goal to turn 1 million tonnes of plastic waste into pyrolysis oil by 2025 is ‘unfeasible’. Unilever acknowledged it will not be able to cut its virgin plastic use by 50%, having only achieved a 18% decrease so far.
The root cause of broken promises, according to WoodMac, is lack of coordination along the supply chain.
Recycled PET prices climb alongside summer temperatures
https://www.plasticsnews.com/resin-pricing/recycled-pet-prices-rise-seasonal-demand-heats
North American recycled PET pellets pricing is continuing to be affected by seasonal demand.
Sources in contact with Plastics News say recycled PET prices have increased by an average of 2.5 cents per pound.
Clear post-consumer PET pellet prices are up 3 cents per pound and green post-consumer pellets are up 2 cents. These price changes are shown on this week’s Plastics News resin pricing chart.
“With temperatures on average being elevated, folks are certainly consuming more cold beverages. With that comes an obvious increased demand,” said a manufacturer in New Hampshire. “But at the same time, you have the same supply.”
Plastics Recycling World Magazine
Link to July/August Issue: https://content.yudu.com/web/1rl19/0A42x3p/PRWJulAug24/html/index.html?refUrl=https%253A%252F%252Fmagazines.amiplastics.com%252F
Washing Tech Firms Go with the Flow
Developments in business, technology, and regional markets are behind the progress of washing modules in plastics recycling.
Improving the quality of recycled plastics is driving advancements in the efficiency and accuracy of washing equipment. Technology suppliers say their latest designs pursue higher purity fractions coupled with economic consumption of energy, water, and detergents.
Partners Push Ahead in Chemical Recycling
Projects to bring chemical recycling into production are focusing not just on polyolefins but also PLA, PET, tyre rubber, and carbon black.
Expansion of E-Waste and Auto Recycling
Sustainability and regulatory pressures are behind a surge of activity by industry groups aiming to improve recycling of used electronics and old cars.
Brussels Expo Preview
Plastics industry leaders witll gather at AMI’s Plastics Recycling World Expo in Brussels in September. Get a preview of the speakers and the topics they will be covering.
Also, get an overview of those groups exhibiting at the Expo.
Upcoming Events:
AMI Plastics Recycling World Expo – Europe
September 11 – 12, 2024
Brussels, Belgium
For details and to register: https://eu.compoundingworldexpo.com/enquire-about-exhibiting
AMI Plastics Recycling Technology
October 23 – 24, 2024
Vienna, Austria
For details and to register: https://www.ami-events.com/event/bc7e919f-830f-4c9b-9963-e5ca9f7f7b47/summary?RefId=Advert_AMI_magazine
AMI Plastics Recycling World Expo – North America
November 13-14, 2024
Cleveland, Ohio
For details and to register: https://na.plasticsrecyclingworldexpo.com/exhibit/become-an-exhibitor
