Industry Trends

October 2023

See what has been happening in Asia’s plastics & rubber industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?

What has been happening?

New packaging innovations are addressing sustainability issues, Natural rubber looks to breeding research to raise productivity, Foam processor innovates on path to sustainability, and more. Find out what plastic & rubber journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.

Latest Plastics & Rubber Articles

New packaging innovations are addressing sustainability issues, survey finds

ConfectioneryNews

Recent international research has revealed that professionals in the food packaging industry are addressing demands for greater sustainability and consumer preference with innovative approaches to material choice and the processes involved in production.

Natural rubber looks to breeding research to raise productivity
NST Online Latest News

That rubber farming is in a precarious state is no longer a secret. At the current low level of productivity, farmers can no longer stomach the low rubber price.
Foam Processor Innovates on Path to Sustainability
Plastics Technology

There are many paths toward sustainability, foaming among them. And one extrusion processor that’s been foaming sheet, profiles and tubing since its inception has continued to use its expertise to develop more sustainable products that usually replace heavier materials. Based in a two-plant campus in Zebulon, N.C., Nomaco was founded in 1979 by Marc Noël, who emigrated from Belgium with an idea to produce foamed PP to insulate copper pipe.
Why manufacturers should prepare for the future of sustainable packaging
Medical Plastics News Magazine

Packaging waste has grown to represent more than 40% of total waste produced in the US and abroad. Gary S. Cohen, SupplyOne sustainability packaging specialist, discusses why manufacturers should prepare for the future of packaging.
Documentary looks at how ‘we love to hate' packaging
Plastics News

A documentary on packaging and single-use plastic explores how “we love to hate it despite needing it.” It’s financed by companies that financially support Quebec’s recycling and EPR systems.
TotalEnergies Corbion presenting PLA grade packaging at Interplas
InterPlas Insights

While PLA can easily be mechanically recycled, TotalEnergies Corbion has also commercialised chemical recycling for PLA at its plant in Thailand, where it recycles both internal and external PLA waste streams.
Material Insights: High oil prices, strong dollar impact plastics
Plastics News

High oil prices are impacting plastics markets in a variety of ways, and the combination of expensive oil and a strong dollar is quite unusual. Economics Editor Bill Wood goes into detail in an interview from the sidelines of the Injection Molding & Design Expo in suburban Detroit.
Prices Bottom Out for Volume Resins?
Plastics Technology

Prices of volume resins going into 2023’s fourth quarter were a mixed bag, though a “bottoming out” somewhat characterized the overall market. Partially, that is due to price decreases across the board for most of the year until contract settlements in August, which saw prices move up for PE, PS, PVC and PET, and just a fractional decrease for PP, with more price hikes being attempted for September.
A Complete Guide to Neoprene Rubber
InterPlas Insights

Neoprene rubber, also known as Polychloroprene, is a man-made synthetic rubber used for a wide variety of sealing applications.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners invests in CO2 upcycling tech for plastic production
BeverageDaily

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has announced an investment into carbon conversion research: eying up the potential to create more sustainable packaging materials.
Indorama reaches RPET milestone
resource-recycling.com

The world’s largest PET producer, Indorama Ventures, has now recycled the equivalent of 100 billion PET bottles.
Sanner Group opens second manufacturing facility in China
Medical Plastics News Magazine

The Sanner Group, a specialist in the development and production of active healthcare packaging and medical device components, is expanding production capacity in the Asia-Pacific region, bringing a new manufacturing facility on stream in Kunshan.
Prevented Ocean Plastic opens Indonesia based collection facility

InterPlas Insights

Prevented Ocean Plastic Southeast Asia (POPSEA) has announced the opening of its new collection centre in Jl. Pegangsaan Dua KM. 1, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.

Kurz Opens New Plant in Vietnam

Plastics Technology

Leonhard Kurz has opened a new 60,000-m2 production facility in Quy Nhơn, Vietnam, investing 37 million euros in the site with a production capacity of roughly 15 million m2 of transfer products annually starting in 2024. This site supports existing regional production facilities in China and Malaysia. In a release, Kurz said Vietnam will primarily manufacture products for the plastic finishing of products in the automotive, consumer electronics and home appliances sectors.

Malaysia-China coorperation will boost domestic rubber industry

NST Online Latest News

The country’s rubber industry is expected to soar in the coming years following the strengthening of cooperation with China in the field of commodities.

Stats Dept: Malaysia's natural rubber production down by 4.5pc in July

The Malay Mail Online

Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) production decreased by 4.5 per cent to 28,533 tonnes in July 2023 from 29,867 tonnes in June 2023, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM). NR production was also down by 24.6 per cent year-on-year from 37,843 tonnes in July 2022, said chief statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin. He said NR’s total stocks in July 2023 reduced by 9.9 per cent to 143,840 tonnes compared to 159,718 tonnes in June 2023.

Rubber price dips to approximately K1,600 per pound

Global New Light Of Myanmar

The price of rubber has fallen again to around K1,600 per pound in Mon State’s rubber market.

Glove makers recovery trend yet to be seen, says RHB Research

NST Online Latest News

The recovery trend remains to be seen for the glove makers following July’s weaker export numbers, and this could potentially mean demand is still failing to catch up with industry expectations, as inventory is supposed to normalise to prepandemic levels.

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