Author: Heike Fischer

Advanced recycling on the rise Advanced recycling technologies are developing at a fast pace, with new players constantly appearing on the market, from start-ups to chemistry giants and everything in-between. New plants are being built, new capacities are being achieved, and new partnerships are being established. With all  these dynamic developments,

The PET recycling process starts with the arrival of the material (i.e. PET bales) to the recycling facility, where it is shredded and washed, producing flakes. Flakes can be either directly commercialised by recyclers (for applications such as packaging) or be sent to extrusion into pellets. The first point of the

Interview with Chris DeArmitt, President at Phantom Plastics, by Kay Barton PETplanet: How long have you been interested in plastics and what is your personal story here? And was there a trigger to take action against false reports about plastics with facts? Chris DeArmitt: I have a PhD in chemistry and

by Chris DeArmitt Thirst – it can drive you to drink!. In fact, when it comes to survival, we need hydration more than we need food. When at home, we can take satisfy our thirst with tap water, but when we’re on the go, we need other options, but which one

Interview with Philipp Lehner, CEO Alpla Group, on his social media activities, by Gabriele Kosmehl Plastics face a tough battle in public perception, with PET bottles often symbolising increased concern over waste. Shedding light on this issue is crucial. Philipp Lehner, CEO of the Alpla Group, is taking to multiple social

In 2022, PET converter demand for applications such as bottles, films and sheet in the EU27+3 region stood at 5.0 million tonnes. PET production (including virgin and recycled) reached 3.9 million tonnes in 2022, as illustrated in the figure, showing a downward trend in relation to previous years. The difference between

The EU Council presidency and European Parliament representatives have announced a provisional political agreement on a proposal for regulation on packaging and packaging waste. The stated aim is to tackle the increase in packaging waste generated in the EU while, at the same time, harmonising the internal market for packaging and

CCL Label has introduced a new version of its proven EcoFloat low-density polyolefin sleeve material: EcoFloat White. “EcoFloat White will enable greater recyclability for dairy packaging and other products that are light sensitive, we expect it to be a game changer. The dairy industry often uses HDPE bottles for bottles containing

Global push against single-use plastics sparks legislative actions and developments in technologies based on an article by Elizabeth Staab, Global Packaging Sustainability Manager, H.B. Fuller There is growing demand by consumers around the world to limit the proliferation of single-use plastics. Governments are responding with legislation, regulations, and taxes designed to

UPM Raflatac, a global supplier of self-adhesive paper and film products, has been formally recognised by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) for three types of biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) label products for HDPE and PP package recycling. These include Undecorated BOPP with hotmelt adhesive, Undecorated BOPP with RW85C, and metalised undecorated

Flexographic printing is a widely used printing method around the world. Currently, the printing plates used are primarily solvent-washable plates that require an organic solvent-based washing solution in the wash out step of the plate-making process. Asahi Kasei develops and manufactures water-washable plates that use a water-based washing solution, which is