Plastipak developed hot-fill technology for beverage packaging

(China Plastic & Rubber Journal) -- Plastipak Packaging has developed a lightweight hot-fill technology for the non-refrigerated beverage sector, which the company claims will help increase the shelf-life of products by up to 12 months.


The company said its ThermoShape technology offers alternative packaging for the acid-sensitive beverage and food market segments.


The technology also enables bottles to be 30% lighter than a typical PET hot-fill bottle of similar volume.


MRC

Slow recovery of petrochemical facilities in France

(Plastemart) -- France's Fos-Lavera petrochem terminal has been cleared after 33 days of strike that paralyzed the country's petrochem industry. The protest at the Fos-Lavera oil terminals at Marseille stranded 38 crude carriers and 20 product tankers.


Protests broke out at France's ports on September 27 and escalated over President Nicolas Sarkozy's pension reform. As a result, France, the second-biggest refining center in Europe after Germany, was forced to halt production from at least 9 of 11 active facilities in France and one in Switzerland.


France's 11 active refineries can process 1.84 million barrels of oil a day, according to Bloomberg data. Oil companies began to halt production as early as Oct. 10 because of the strike actions. As union tensions started to ebb, petrochemical players in France are slowly restarting their plants.


MRC

Petro Rabigh resumes refining operations

(Arabian Oil and Gas) -- The Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) in Saudi Arabia has resumed operations at its refinery after a power outage caused the complex to shutdown on Saturday 23 October. The company said that it had begun the process of restarting the cracker and derivative units.


The shutdown is the second in 10 days, and follows a problem at its polyethylene unit number one, caused by a compressor malfunction. The company resumed work at the unit after 24 hours.


Petro Rabigh has for the first time this week announced detailed financial statements of its sales. The disclosure reveals that its refining sector posted gross losses of US$418 million during the first nine months 2010, whereas its petrochemical division posted gross profits of $538 million.


MRC

Al Waha completes performance test of PP plant

(Arabian Oiland Gas) -- Saudi based Sahara Petrochemical Company has completed the performance tests at its polypropylene plant in Jubail through its subsidiary Al Waha Petrochemical Company, according to a statement by Sahara.


Al Waha had successfully produced the ⌠HECO grade of the polypropylene, which is classified as the purest grade of polypropylene that can be produced through Spherizone technology.


The ⌠HECO grade is generally characterised by its high quality and high cost, according to the company. Al Waha has conducted three different successful tests to produce different grades of polypropylene.


MRC

New York collects $120M in unclaimed bottle deposits

(Plastics News) -- In its first year of implementation, New York's expanded beverage container deposit law, known as the ⌠Bottle Bill, the state has collected more than $120 million in unclaimed deposits and has helped boost plastic recycling rates nationally.


The Bottle Bill, which went into effect Oct. 31, 2009, added water bottles to the list of beverage containers requiring a minimum 5-cent refundable deposit. Under the new law, beverage companies are now required to transfer 80% of the unredeemed deposits to the state General Fund. Previously, beverage companies kept all the unclaimed deposits.


Susan Collins, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute, noted that 2009 was a year of excellent growth in recycling rates in the container deposit-refund programs around the country.


MRC