Oil markets remain highly sensitive to developments in the US–Iran war. Brent is trading around $86 per barrel and WTI around $83 in the referenced market snapshot, while fragile diplomacy and risks to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continue to drive sharp price movements.
MOPET Belgium has opened a new recycling facility in Neufchâteau capable of processing PET bottles and trays into food-grade recycled material. The investment expands Belgium’s capacity for bottle-to-bottle and tray-to-tray recycling.
Kumho Petrochemical is shifting towards specialty materials, recycled plastics and research-led manufacturing as oversupply weakens the traditional petrochemical business model.
Polybion says it has cultivated its largest continuous Celium sheet to date. The project highlights the manufacturing challenges that must be solved before bacterial cellulose can move from promising prototypes to repeatable industrial applications.
Radici Chimica plans to halt key production units at its Novara site after three years of losses, placing up to 140 of the plant’s 287 jobs at risk.
At GCPRS 2026 in New Delhi, Jyoti World presented an integrated manufacturing model that converts recycled polymers and difficult plastic waste into engineering compounds and durable infrastructure products.
Brent is trading near $99 a barrel and WTI near $91 as the US–Iran conflict and attacks on critical shipping routes increase global supply risks.
Brussels has questioned whether Italy’s proposed compostable-packaging rules comply with the PPWR and the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive.
Cheap virgin polymers, weak demand and tighter EU shipment rules are intensifying the plastic recycling crisis, putting plants, investment and recycling capacity at risk.