Recycling PET OxoBiodegradablePlastics 07-04-2021 - Arhive
Recycling PET OxoBiodegradablePlastics
Crude Oil Prices Trend
-Trinseo Raises April PC Prices in Europe
Trinseo (formerly Styron), a major European polymer manufacturer, announced an increase in April prices for all polycarbonate (PC) grades for the European region, the company said in a statement.
The price increase took effect on April 1, 2021 and is consistent with the terms of the current contracts. Thus, the April contract and spot prices of the company’s PCs for the CALIBER brand increased by EUR400 per tonne.
Earlier it was noted that the last time Trinseo raised PC prices in the European market was from March 1, 2021. Then the rise in prices amounted to EUR600 per ton.
-Buyers turn to China amid SE Asian PP plant closures
Three polypropylene (PP) producers in southeast Asia unexpectedly shut their plants in late March, further tightening supplies in the region. But the plant closures seem to have had little impact on the market as buyers continue to seek China-origin PP supplies to make up for the shortfall.
South Korean PP producer Hyosung shut its 300,000 t/yr PP plant at Ba Ria-Vung Tau province in Vietnam on 28 March because of technical issues. The plant resumed operations today.
Vietnamese operator Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical closed its 370,000 t/yr PP plant in Thanh Hoa province on 30 March because of technical issues. The plant is expected to remain off line for a week, according to industry sources.
Indonesian producer Polytama Propindo has suspended PP allocations to its domestic contract customers, likely in anticipation of a disruption to its feedstock propylene supplies from a fire that hit state-owned Pertamina’s 125,000 b/d Balongan refinery on 29 March. The producer temporarily closed its 300,000 t/yr PP plant in Balongan, west Java, as part of safety measures on the same day that Pertamina shut its refinery to prevent the fire from spreading.
-European PVC rose by three-digit price for CIS markets in April
Negotiations on the prices of European polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for deliveries to CIS markets in April kicked off last week. The lack of supply continues to put serious pressure on export prices from European producers, in some cases the price increase is EUR100 per ton compared to March, according to the ICIS-MRC Price Survey.
The April contract price of ethylene was agreed at EUR40 per ton above the previous month, which theoretically allows us to talk about the increase in the cost of PVC production by EUR20 per ton compared to
March. But in the last few months the determining factor in the market is the deficit, and it is the lack of polymer in the market led to a three-digit increase in export prices of PVC. European producers announced an increase in export prices for CIS markets in April by an average of EUR100 per ton.
Seasonal factor is beginning to play an increasing role in the demand for PVC, many processors continue to gradually increase capacity utilization.
But export quotas from European producers, on the contrary, are decreasing more and more every month. The unstable work of some producers and good demand have led to a serious shortage of PVC in Europe.
The greatest drawback of export quotas is the resin with K-58/70.
-March contract prices of PE in the USA rose due to high demand and a lack of supply
March polyethylene (PE) contract prices in the United States rose due to strong demand and supply shortages, ICIS reported .
Prices rose 6 cents per pound (USD132 per tonne) at the top of the price range, while the lower end of the range rose 7 cents per pound (USD154 per tonne).
Most of the polyethylene plants that were shut down following a winter storm in mid-February have since been restarted, although average operating rates remain below normal due to a shortage of ethylene feedstocks.
Polyethylene inventory levels fell 16.9% in February compared with January as strong demand and frequent power outages led to problems in production. Domestic demand for polyethylene remains strong, in part because the demand for PE packaging has increased due to the pandemic.
-Coca-Cola Amatil’s New Recycling Plant to Slash Virgin Plastic Use
Soft drinks manufacturer Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia hopes their new recycling facility at Bekasi, West Java, can help slash virgin plastic usage and thus, closing the loop on packaging.
According to Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia president director Kadir Gunduz, the bottle-to-bottle grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling facility will cut new plastic consumption by 25,000 tons each year.
The plant is in collaboration with packaging firm Dynapack Asia and brought a total investment of 50.51 million AUD (around $38.4 million). The recycling facility will also span an area of 20,000 square meters.
The successful conclusion of the five-year study confirms that oxo-biodegradable plastic, as distinct from oxo-degradable plastic, properly biodegrades in the open environment and is not toxic, said the company.
UK-based Symphony Environmental announced the “successful conclusion” of the five-year Oxomar study sponsored by the French Agence National de Recherche. “This study provides further comprehensive and reliable scientific data on the performance of d2w in the oceans,” said Symphony Environmental. “The study had a multidisciplinary approach, including physics, chemistry, and biology.”
Symphony said that the report confirms the findings of the scientists in its September 2020 interim report that “oxo-biodegradable plastics biodegrade in seawater and do so with significantly higher efficiency than conventional plastics. The oxidation level obtained due to the d2w prodegradant catalyst was found to be of crucial importance in the degradation process.”
The report confirms studies by Queen Mary University London and France’s Station d’essais de Viellissement Naturel de Bandol, which applied different scientific techniques to prove biodegradation of d2w plastic in the marine environment, leaving no toxic residues, Symphony said. The study has dynamically combined and compared tests performed directly in marine conditions as well as in laboratory settings. Bacterial strains found in marine waters were used and incubated in marine waters under temperature conditions (>18oC) usually found in the ocean, according to Symphony’s announcement.
-SABIC offers recycled material from ocean-bound PET
The material can be mechanically recycled and converted into components for new consumer goods and electronics applications.
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has announced that it is launching a new recycled material made from ocean-bound plastics that has been recovered from ocean-feeding waterways and inland areas within a 50-kilometer radius of the ocean. According to a news release from SABIC, the ocean-bound material is mechanically recycled and converted into components for new consumer goods and electronics applications, such as TV remote controls and electronic razors, with the potential to be used in other industries, such as automotive, in the future.
Part of SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio, the new recycled material is a SABIC Xenoy polycarbonate (PC) / polyethylene terephthalate (PET) compound comprising of a minimum 10 percent recycled ocean-bound PET blended with PC.
After Levissima and San Benedetto, it is up to the source S.Bernardo to present a bottle produced entirely with recycled PET (rPET), a possibility offered by the Budget Law which, starting from this year, canceled the 50% limit.
The proposal of the Piedmontese spring is a bottle with a helical design, decorated with drops arranged along the Fibonacci sequence, conceived by the designer Gabriele Gioria of the Kumooku studio.
Produced in the Garessio (CN) plant, powered by wind energy, the bottle will be on the shelves starting from May.
Today S.Bernardo is present on the market with PET packages containing 50% of recycled material, in compliance with the regulatory limit in force until 31 December last. “Our commitment is to support the virtuous circle of reuse and recycling, hoping that it will be ever greater – says Antonio Biella general manager of San Bernardo -.
-Yale study introduces breakthrough bio-based plastic
A new bioplastic is strong, water-stable, cost-effective, and easily recyclable and biodegradable, making it a strong contender for scaling and wider adoption.
New research conducted by scientists at Yale, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland could help phase out traditional plastics.
Researchers at the Yale School of the Environment, the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UMD have created a lignocellulosic bioplastic that is a promising alternative not just to plastics derived from petroleum but also to existing bioplastic materials.
Research on the bioplastic’s properties, manufacturing process and environmental impacts are outlined in a study published on March 25 in the journal Nature Sustainability.
Two products were awarded for performance and practicability: Dow’s first Post-Consumer Recycled resin offering in Asia Pacific and its recyclable Polyolefin Backing for carpet tile
Dow clinched two notable product wins for superior performance and wide application at the 2021 Ringier Technology Innovation Awards in the Plastics Raw Materials & Additives category:
- Dow’s Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) resin XUS60921.01
- Carpet tile with INFUSE™ polyolefin backing
Dow’s PCR resin for collation shrink film offers sustainability advantages for the packaging value chain, while its polyolefin backing for carpet tile was designed for health, durability and recyclability.
“We are honored to be recognized by the esteemed panel of industry experts. These two awards are reflective of our commitment to creating valuable products for our customers, society and the planet. As a materials science leader, meeting current and future demands for sustainable plastics and additives remains our priority,” shared Wu Chang, technical service and development director, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, Asia Pacific.
Post-Consumer Recycled resin XUS60921.01: Advancing a circular economy
The new resin is designed with 40 percent post-consumer recycled plastics collected domestically within Asia Pacific. A first in Asia Pacific, the new PCR resin offering is part of Dow’s comprehensive strategy to advance a circular economy for plastics by redesigning and offering reusable or recyclable solutions for packaging applications.
Recycling PET OxoBiodegradablePlastics