Plastic scrap flows to China evaporate. CSPA president says import quotas for 2018 are thus far reduced by 99 percent. January 10, 2018 Brian Taylor   Government-approved quotes for plastic scrap imports into China for 2018 are thus far “only a fraction of the corresponding batches in the preceding year,” according to Steve Wong, president […]

December 21, 2017 Officials with the European Union have approved waste legislation, which highlights the development of a new strategy on plastics in a circular economy. In a decision announced Dec. 18, the EU legislators with the European Parliament, Council and European Commission reached an agreement on a proposal from December 2015, which covered four areas […]

By JIM JOHNSON  Chicago — Hurricane Harvey, which sucker punched the Houston area, is having a definite impact on the ethylene market. But it is just a bit too early to tell what will ultimately happen as the region continues to recover, said Chris Gick, manager of industry and market dynamics with polyethylene maker Nova Chemicals Corp. […]

By STEVE TOLOKEN June 6, 2017 Guangzhou, China — For all the challenges in China’s manufacturing sector, from slowing global growth hurting exports to rising production costs within the country, it remains the world’s largest market for plastics and a significant driver for industry growth. China, for example, will account for more than half of the total […]

May 24, 2017 By FRANK ESPOSITO ExxonMobil Chemical Co.The new PE lines at Mont Belvieu will process ethylene feedstock from a new steam cracker under construction at ExxonMobil’s Baytown location, about 15 miles away. ExxonMobil Chemical Co. has completed mechanical work on two major new polyethylene resin production lines in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The lines […]

May 17, 2017 Simon Robinson   Sports giant Nike Inc. is about to make it possible for sneaker collectors to match their iPhone covers to their favorite shoes. The Beaverton, Ore.-based company is releasing a series of iPhone 7 cases made of thermoplastic polyurethane which match the tread of some of its iconic shoes. The […]

May 8, 2017 By STEVE TOLOKEN Washington — The plastics industry is making a major lobbying push in state capitols to open more of the huge government infrastructure market to plastic pipe, arguing that legacy laws favor traditional materials like ductile iron and concrete. Plastics industry lobbyists say it’s likely a years-long project, but they […]

Bloem Living builds a better flower pot By BILL BREGAR Michael A. MarcotteRyan Mast of Bloem Living LLC talks about his company’s growth. Naples, Fla. — Bloem Living LLC is breathing new life into plastic flower pots, a product category President Ryan Mast says was ripe for innovative marketing. “We found the industry to be […]

Solving the recycling riddle By KERRI JANSEN Sustainability Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) More + Richardson Mark Richardson was working in academia when he originally joined the Society of Plastics Engineers, on a mission to develop a stronger workforce pipeline for the plastics industry. But it wasn’t a matter of simply generating more workforce, said […]

Plastics will be part of solutions in the future By BILL WOOD Getty ImagesRoy Stormtroopers lined up in ranks. The Stormtroopers are action figures created by the Kotobukiya Toy company. Stormtroopers are enforcer characters from the Star Wars media franchise. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the SPE, I am changing things up this week. […]