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The market for continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites has grown annually at about 4% within the last five years. Moreover, the future outlook appears to be even more robust according to a study from market research and competitive intelligence provide Fact.MR (U.S. office in Rockville, Md.). The new report, Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites—Consumption Analysis from 2016-2020 vs. Future Market Outlook for 2021-2031, projects annual growth of over 8% for the…

Most people really do want to reuse their plastic containers, and 62% of Americans confess to being “plastic hoarders.” That’s one of the findings from a recent survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Core Hydration, a producer of bottled water sold in many retail outlets. The study asked 2,000 nationally representative Americans about their plastic habits and what they want to improve on — notably getting rid of plastic after…

You don’t have much time to register for Molding 2021 and Extrusion 2021 and take advantage of early-bird registration discounts. In fact, the discounts end Aug. 20. The two conferences will be held September 21-23 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The skinny: Molding 2021 is an educational conference and exhibit where industry leaders discuss the latest developments in various molding processes, equipment, materials and management…

July was an important month for state-level packaging producer responsibility programs in the United States. Over the past several weeks, two states — Maine and Oregon — have signed into law legislation for packaging producer responsibility, and several more states are considering doing the same. AMERIPEN supports shared responsibility for financing and managing the modernization of the recycling system to match packaging innovations. However, we are concerned that these laws…

Nearly every time I read an article about plastic waste, particularly in the mainstream news media, the first few paragraphs trumpet huge numbers. There are 5.25 trillion pieces of macro and micro plastic in our oceans — 46,000 pieces in every square mile weighing up to 269,000 tonnes, said one article. Every day, eight million pieces of plastic enter the oceans, said another. Yet another piece noted that eight million tons…

Everyone has heard of the “Three Rs” eco-responsibility—for plastics and everything else: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Lately, the third “R” is getting all the attention. In this magazine, we have conveyed a steady stream of information on what plastics processors can do about Recycling:  •  They can learn how to use—or make better use of recycled materials in their processes. For example, there’s an important feature in our upcoming September issue…

Over the last decade, we have steadily reported on new developments in the ThermHex thermoplastic honeycomb technology patented by Belgium’s EconCore. Meanwhile, EconCore’s Germany subsidiary ThermHex Waben GmbH, producer of PP honeycomb cores for economic sandwich panels and parts, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, both based in Halle, have been long-term collaborators in conducting several research and development projects. Their focus is on the…