The commodity resin markets began to slow a bit at the PlasticsExchange trading desk, with busy midweek activity sandwiched by quiet Mondays and Fridays. Hmmm, the beginning of long summer weekends? Polyethylene (PE) contracts should finalize up a nickel in June while polypropylene (PP) contracts will average about a $0.12/lb gain, with the lion’s share awarded to a margin increase and the balance to cover the rise in June PGP…
“This K will be different,” announced Thorsten Kühmann, managing director of VDMA, in a video call last week with the global plastics trade press about the upcoming K 2022 trade fair. VDMA, the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association, is the primary sponsor of the triennial K Show. K 2022 is scheduled for Oct. 19-26, 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany. What will be “different” about this K Show is that it is…
I recently had a discussion with Brant Wunderlich, market manager for caps & closures at Nova Chemicals regarding his take on what we can expect caps & closures of 2030 for food and beverage and as well as non-food versions to look like. While this industry pro concedes today’s PP caps & closures outnumber HDPE by two-to-one, he sees this trend already changing with HDPE gaining traction. “Polyethylene has a much…
Bioplastics company Danimer Scientific and Rob Falken have received a joint US patent for a renewable, biodegradable marking wax that serves as an alternative to petrochemical-based paraffin wax. Falken is an environmentally focused material developer in San Diego, CA, who partnered with Danimer Scientific to develop the material, which can be used to make plant-based, compostable crayons that reportedly break down in industrial composting facilities and home compost bins. Traditional…
Strong demand and limited import options both are contributing to unexpected volatility in the market.