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(recyclingtoday) -- A group of European plastics converters, recyclers and collectors have completed a two-year project that looks at steps that can be taken to boost the use of post-consumer plastic scrap.
The culmination of the project is the release of a new program, called EuCertPlast, which implements existing CEN standard 14343 on post-consumer plastics recycling. Participants in the program say that the new standard will boost the use of post-consumer plastic.
The project was conducted by European Plastics Recyclers (EuPR) and the European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery Organisations (EPRO) in collaboration with the European Plastics Converters (EuPC), the European Association unoriented Polyester Films (EuPET), Recovinyl, the German company Cyclos GmbH and a few plastics recycling companies to perform the first pilot audits at factory level.
“I am very happy with the outcome of this project in which we have been able to demonstrate that good practices on post-consumer plastics recycling should be rewarded with a European Certificate and this will boost the use of recyclates in Europe by plastics converters. I strongly advise purchasers of post-consumer plastics recyclates to request this EuCertPlast Certificate from their suppliers in order to guarantee good quality product,” says Alexandre Dangis, managing director of EuPC.
MRC
European plastics firms unveil plan to boost recycling levels
Siluria to establish a demonstration unit for preparing ethylene from natural gas
The company has successfully raised USD 30 million in a round led by Russia-based Bright Capital and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital. Besides, existing venture capital investors like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, also contributed. In all the company raised USD 63.3 million.
Siluria has evolved a technique for transforming methane, the key component of natural gas, into ethylene, a common industrial chemical, which is normally derived from oil. Deviating from the usual trend, where refiners crack petroleum with heat to generate ethylene, a smaller chain hydrocarbon, Siluria uses catalysts to chemically combine two methane molecules to produce ethylene. The process developed by Siluria can operate at much lower temperatures and consumes much less energy compared to traditional steam cracking.
According to the company, the funds raised would allow it to set up a demonstration plant by 2013, which would help it to perfect the process.
MRC
Indorama lifted force majeure on ethylene and MEG production
The plants resumed operations on Saturday and the force majeure "will be lifted immediately upon the plant and supplies becoming normal," IVL said.
The plants were shut July 20 and a force majeure declared three days later. They can deliver 435,000 mt/year of EO and 358,000 mt/year of MEG IVL is the holding company for the Indorama Group's PET and PTA assets in Thailand,
Belgium, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the US and the UK
MRC
In H1 Ukraine’s imports of PET grew by 12,500 tonnes
MOSCOW (MRC) - In H1 012, Ukrainian producers of PET preforms increased their processing volumes by 16% year on year, according to MRC analysts.
Ukraine’s import of PET granulate in H1 2012 made about 89,500 tonnes, up 12,500 tonnes from H1 2011(77,000 tonnes).
Structure of the imports has changed. Ukrainian companies are increasingly shifting to the Middle Eastern and African material on the shorter logistics arm and attractive price policy from local producers. Thus, the share of Pakistan’s material Gatronova this year significantly increased. The imports of Pakistani PET increased by 11,200 tonnes year on year and amounted to 17,200 tonnes.
Thus, the Pakistani PET grade A-80 was the most popular among domestic producers of PET preforms (in 2011 it was Chinese grade CR-8816, produced by China Resources Chemicals).
The main share in the total consumption of imported PET fell on Chinese grades (CR-8816/China Resources Chemicals, Jade CZ-302/Jiangsu Sanfangxiang, TLE-101/Dragon Special Resin, wk-801/Zhejiang Wankai, Skypet BL 8050/SK Chemicals and others). In January-June 2012, Ukrainian companies purchased in China 41,400 tonnes of bottle PET.
This season, the domestic converters noted the stability of bottlers’ demand for their products, which leads to a steady demand for imported PET. It is also worth noting that if the current growth rate remains (16% in the first six months), the year-end total consumption of PET granulate in Ukraine can rise to 160,000 tonnes, from 138,000 tonnes in 2011.
Major polymer makers report decline in revenues in Q2
MOSCOW (MRC) -- The following several major global polymer producers have reported reduced profits or even losses on their second quarter results:BASF, Dow Chemical, Ineos, SABIC, PetroRabigh, Sipchem.
As it was mentioned earlier by MRC, in the chemical and plastics segments BASF reported a significant decline in earnings in Q2 for some basic products on lower margins and the scheduled maintenance shutdown of several plants.
Producers cited disappointing global demand, higher feedstock costs and reduced production as some of the main reasons for their weaker results.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company. BASF offers a comprehensive product line and market expertise ranging from commodities to engineering and high-performance materials in thermoplastics, foams and urethanes.
The Dow Chemical Company, commonly referred to as Dow, is an American multinational chemical corporation. Dow Chemical is a provider of plastics, chemicals, and agricultural products. Dow is a large producer of plastics, including polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, and synthetic rubber.
INEOS Group Limited is a privately owned multinational chemicals company headquartered in Rolle, Switzerland. Ineos manufactures and distributes a wide range of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products, including ethylene, polyethylene, polyisobutylene, polypropylene and other aromatics, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, propene, propylene glycol, propylene oxide, PVC compounds, styrene-acrylonitrile resin, sulphur chemicals, VCM biodiesel and vinyls.
SABIC is a major producer of the key polyolefins PE (Polyethylene) and PP (Polypropylene). It also produces PVC, polyester and polysterene.
Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) is a Saudi Arabia-based company which produces and markets refined hydrocarbon and petrochemicals.
Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) manufactures and markets methanol, butanediol, tetrahydrofuran, acetic acid, acetic anhydride, vinyl acetate monomer, as well as carbon monoxide through its various affiliates.
MRC