Karen Laird

In a case of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them - and then beat them’, Coca-Cola is rolling out bottles with tethered caps a year-and-a-half before this becomes mandatory across the EU market.

A German consortium consisting of 19 leading industrial companies and research institutes, including the BMW Group, Evonik, Thyssenkrupp, the Fraunhofer Institute, and the Technical University of Munich, has been established with the aim of developing new processes for using sustainable materials in large parts of the value chain, for the purpose of circular automotive production.

Surprise and disappointment were the foremost emotions expressed by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee after the government disagreed with key recommendations in its report on dealing with the growing problem of plastic waste.

Sustainability requires a global partnership

Toray has announced that it has developed technology to create a recycled nylon 66 recovered from discarded silicone-coated airbags offering the same flowability and mechanical properties as virgin nylon 66 injection moulding grades.

In 2020, the European Plastics Converters association and Plastics Europe jointly committed to developing a certification scheme by 2022 that would further formalise compliance with the requirements of the Operation Clean Sweep programme in Europe.

Dow and LVMH Beauty, a division of LVMH, ta France-based luxury group active in six sectors have announced their intention to work together on the further development and implementation of sustainable packaging across LVMH’s range of perfume and cosmetic products.

Last week, PureCycle Technologies and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges announced that PureCycle has opted to build its first polypropylene recycling facility in Europe in the port's NextGen District.

Hexagon, specialised in digital reality solutions based on a combination of sensor, software and autonomous technologies, has joined forces with Japanese polymer producer - and part of Sumitomo Chemical - Sumika Polymer Compounds.

Renewable chemistry company Avantium N.V. and Henkel, a leading manufacturer of amongst others, adhesives, sealants and functional coatings, have signed a 5-year offtake agreement under which Avantium will supply Henkel with FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) from the flagship plant that is currently under construction in Delfzijl, the Netherlands.

The Composting Consortium, a collaboration of industry partners managed by Closed Loop Partners, has announced the launch of a new pilot designed to provide more in-depth insights into the compostability of compostable packaging.

Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear is a significant source of marine litter.  About 640 thousand tons of fishing equipment are abandoned, lost, or dumped into the ocean each year.

Chemical recycling company Nexus Circular and Braskem, the leading polyolefins producer in the Americas, have signed a 10-year definitive commercial agreement for the supply of circular feedstocks.

This year’s Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition is open for submissions. The competition, sponsored by Covestro, is intended for university undergraduates in the UK and Ireland, who are interested in working with plastics.