By the time 2023 comes to a close, real plastics shipments probably will have decreased by 3% compared with 2022 and employment will have fallen by 2.2%, according to Perc Pineda, PhD, chief economist at the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). To put those negative numbers in perspective, however, it’s worth noting that the value of shipments — shorthand for sales, according to Pineda — increased 2.6% in 2022 and 1.8% in…
LyondellBasell reports that it has begun consultations with territorial trade unions in Italy regarding management of potential redundancies resulting from the closure of one of its two polypropylene production units at its Brindisi location. The unit in question is the oldest of its kind in the world and has become uncompetitive, according to LyondellBasell. “The market environment for our polypropylene products of this Brindisi unit has become increasingly challenging, and…
Harrington officials say it is poised for growth in semiconductors, water and wastewater management, life sciences, food and beverage processing.
Citrate esters have an excellent toxicological and eco-toxicological profile, but also provide good versatility and compatibility with numerous polymers.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has picked Ross Eisenberg, its current vice president of federal affairs, to lead the ACC’s Plastics Division, effective Sept. 18. The leadership position has been vacant since June 2023, when Joshua Baca left the ACC. In a prepared statement, ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn touted Eisenberg’s qualifications to “carry the torch on plastics advocacy and bring us closer to a more circular and sustainable…
The Evansville, Ind.-based company said the Woodstock, Ill., facility will no longer make closures and overcaps.
There were many reports in early August breathlessly warning about new research showing that microwaving plastics causes millions and billions of micro- and nano-plastic particles to form. Maybe you saw one of these reports online. They were tough to miss with headlines such as: “For the love of God, stop microwaving plastic” and “After seeing this terrifying study, we’re never microwaving plastic again.” Pretty strong statements — I hope the research…
Kia plans to use recycled plastic from a 55-tonne haul of ocean plastics recently reclaimed from the Pacific Ocean in its new EV models. The record-breaking amount of plastic reclaimed by Kia’s global partner, The Ocean Cleanup, marks the next phase in a seven-year global partnership agreed in April 2022. The Ocean Cleanup, an international non-profit project with the mission of ridding the oceans of plastic, landed its plastic catch…
PVC and polystyrene resins both posted surprising increases August, after several months of declining prices. Senior Reporter Frank Esposito stops by Material Insights to talk about the production issues that impacted PVC, higher benzene feedstock prices that pushed up PS, plus his take on whether more increases are on the horizon.
Advanced Manufacturing Minneapolis has announced that Brad S. Sutton, MD, from Boston Scientific will be a keynote speaker at the event, which includes the Plastec and Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) shows. Sutton will explain how innovations in medical technology are saving ever more lives as well as demonstrably improving the quality of life of patients. In particular, he will discuss the evolution of left atrial appendage closure devices in…