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Synthetic turf manufacturer TenCate has taken a giant step toward stomping out persistent chemicals known as PFAS from its products. In an audit of its manufacturing processes, TenCate engineers found that a processing aid used in fiber extrusion for its top-of-the-line artificial grass contained trace levels of non-soluble PFAS. Finding a replacement aid without PFAS led to the milestone the company announced this week. “It’s important to note that third-party…

Life cycle assessments (LCAs) play a crucial role in facilitating fair comparisons across various materials and packaging, ensuring a standardized methodology for evaluating environmental impacts. It’s crucial to let the data tell the story to make valid apples-to-apples comparisons.  In the pursuit of the European Commission’s net-zero targets, the shift from fossil-based to renewable materials is vital for environmental sustainability. Biomass, carbon capture and utilization (CCU), and recycling emerge as…

Reusable packaging, which is the subject of a major deep-dive report drawn from real-world examples, may be stepping from the wings into the sustainability spotlight. Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy (“the Center”), in collaboration with the U.S. Plastics Pact, published on January 9 a first-of-its-kind report, Unpacking Customer Perspectives on Reusable Packaging. The 26-page report shares new insights on customer behavior toward reuse in the US. It seeks…

The triumphant May return of the COVID-delayed NPE: The Plastics Show will feature many new educational opportunities thanks to a wealth of added information sessions. The three Spark Stages are one of those additions. Showcasing bottling, innovation, and sustainability, the Spark Stages will feature more than 75 presentations on the expo floor. These talks, presented hourly between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily, are geared to letting attendees “hear from…

It was all smiles at the PlasticsExchange as the year came to a close. December was the highest volume month at the resin clearinghouse in almost two years. The spot resin markets remained busy right up until the Christmas break, with an abundance of deeply discounted railcars available during December, polyethylene (PE) more so than polypropylene (PP). Most offers were sold by the end of the third week. Then, the…

China’s economy is showing signs of recovery while Asia overall is acting as the locomotive of the global economy. As the economy continues to rebound, the exhibition industry, which is regarded as an economic barometer, is experiencing a strong recovery. Following its impressive performance in Guangzhou in 2023, Chinaplas 2024 will be held from April 23 to 26, occupying all 15 exhibition halls of the National Exhibition and Convention Center…

Italian compounder Sirmax has developed a recycled plastic door panel material that can address issues related to the maintenance of mechanical properties, unwanted odors, and the presence of volatile organic compounds on the surface of interior finishes. The company has formulated a polypropylene (PP) compound with 5% talc additive and containing 30% recycled material derived from post-consumer waste (PCR). This PP compound from the Green Isofil family resembles the mechanical…

German medical device manufacturer Gerresheimer is in full expansion mode at its campus near Atlanta. In addition to an expansion that is slated to add 160 jobs by April to the 260 people it already employs in Peachtree City, GA, the company has announced that it will invest $88 million to build a new 160,000-square-foot facility. Scheduled to open in fall 2024, the plant will be dedicated to manufacturing auto-injectors…

Germany’s Sanner Group, a global healthcare packaging manufacturer and medical device contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced the acquisition of Springboard, a design and development firm specialized in medical devices for regulated markets. Sanner said the acquisition is in line with its goal of building a suite of “world-leading services for customers across the drug-delivery, diagnostic, and medtech device sectors.” Springboard’s extensive capabilities will substantially boost Sanner Group’s in-house…

The days when we will be able to sip a “tasty beverage” through a plastic straw seem to be numbered. Iconic brands, cities, and even countries have joined the crusade to “stop sucking.” There has been some pushback on these bans, notably from the disabled community, where straws can be a lifesaver. Critics of the movement to rid single-use plastics from our lives also note that plastic straws, in the…