October 2022

A shift from metal-based batteries could pave the way for renewable-energy storage systems. In the quest for net zero emissions, Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming extremely valuable assets for facilitating the use of renewable energy. A major challenge with renewable energy sources like solar and wind is their non-continuous output: if the wind isn’t gusting or the sky is cloudy, energy isn’t produced. This is where BESS comes in, working to store excess energy during periods of high production to then be used during periods of low production.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of California, Santa Barbara researchers teamed with Dow to develop a breakthrough process to transform the most widely produced plastic — polyethylene (PE) — into the second-most widely produced plastic, polypropylene (PP). The process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

A demonstration truck tire produced using 63% sustainable materials has been presented by Goodyear at IAA Transportation. The tire features 15 sustainable ingredients which have been used for 20 tire components, and include four different carbon blacks which have been manufactured using plant-based oil, end-of-life tire pyrolysis oil, carbon dioxide capture and conversion, and a low-carbon methane pyrolysis process for compound reinforcement and to extend tread life.

We’re in a weird transition period for plastic packaging. Brands have made commitments to make their packaging more sustainable, and they know how to do it, but they’re waiting for legislation to require them to take the biggest steps that will make plastic packaging part of a truly circular economy.

Plastic market reports for polyamides, 3D printing, medical plastics, sachet packaging, plastic to fuel, and 12 more are featured in this slideshow.

A new chemical process can break down a variety of plastics into usable propane—a possible solution to our inability to effectively recycle many types of plastic.

One day in the not-too-distant future, the plastics in our satellites, cars and electronics may all be living their second, 25th or 250th lives. New research from the University of Colorado Boulder, published in Nature Chemistry, details how a class of durable plastics widely used in the aerospace and microelectronics industries can be chemically broken down into their most basic building blocks and then formed once again into the same material.

The primary owner of Scandinavian Enviro Systems (Enviro), Michelin, says it is the first tire maker to have produced tires approved for road vehicles – including cars and buses – that feature a high amount of environmentally sustainable materials.

PTT Global Chemical Plc (PTTGC), a petrochemical flagship of PTT Group, has opened Thailand’s first and Southeast Asia’s largest high-quality and food-grade recycled plastic resin plant, aiming to process 60,000 tonnes per year.

National oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc wants to revamp its corporate image as a key manufacturer in the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry.

Kolon Industries has completed an expansion project at its tire cord production facility in Vietnam, four years after opening the plant in Binh Duong Province, north of Ho Chi Minh City. Group’s total production capacity rises to 103ktpa to meet post-Covid demand.

The price of rubber stands at around K1,400 per pound during the tapping season, rubber traders said.

Key companies covered in southeast asia polyurethane market are BASF SE (Germany), DOW Chemical Company (U.S.), Huntsman Corporation (U.S.), LANXESS (Germany), Covestro AG (Germany), FloorChem Asia Co., Ltd. (Thailand), Rogers Corporation (U.S.), Tosoh Corporation (Japan), INOAC Corporation (Japan), Asia Polyurethane Manufacturing (Singapore), and Other Key Players.

Maxiflex Philippine Corp., producer of Uratex mattress brand, is investing P560.4 million to manufacture mattresses in Bulacan for exports, estimated at P2.1 billion annually. In approving the registration of Mariflex, the Board of Investments said the project is entitled to tax and fiscal incentives under the 2022 Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.

Rubber tappers in Kedah are feeling the pinch as scrap rubber prices have dropped and the unpredictable weather piles further pressure on their tapping activities.

The Switzerland-based packaging firm has sold 50 million of its plant-based carton caps since starting production in China, where consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious.

To intensify consumer education and encourage collective action on plastic waste, GMA and Nestlé Philippines signed an agreement for a joint campaign dubbed Kapuso at Kasambuhay ng Kalikasan.

Some coffee-shop owners and consumers said that a proposal to boost the recycling rates for beverage containers through a deposit return scheme is good in theory, but they are concerned that improper execution could lead to greater inconvenience for everyone.

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PCG) and ExxonMobil have signed a memorandum of understanding to assess the potential for large-scale implementation of advanced plastic recycling technology to help create a circular economy for plastics in Malaysia. In a joint statement today, the companies said they will also evaluate opportunities to support improvements to plastic waste collection and sorting in the country.