Tens of thousands of dockworkers have gone on strike indefinitely at ports across much of the US, threatening significant trade and economic disruption ahead of the presidential election and the busy holiday shopping season.   Members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) walked out on Tuesday at 14 major ports along the east and gulf […]

A £1bn development of a former paper mill could “completely transform recycling levels in the UK”, its owner has claimed.   Up to 2,000 contractors are working to transform Shotton Mill in Flintshire into one of the UK’s largest cardboard and tissue production facilities, which it is hoped will start operating next year.   Turkish […]

European polymer prices were mixed over the week to 27th September. There were increases of 5 and 20 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of PVC and LDPE. There were reductions of between 5 and 50 EUR per tonne noted in the prices of PET, Polypropylene and ABS. In the UK, prices fell against […]

China’s central bank has unveiled a major package of measures aimed at reviving the country’s flagging economy.   People’s Bank of China (PBOC) Governor, Pan Gongsheng, announced plans to lower borrowing costs and allow banks to increase their lending.   The move comes after a series of disappointing data has increased expectations in recent months […]

California’s attorney general is suing ExxonMobil, alleging the oil giant engaged in a “decades-long campaign of deception” about the effectiveness of plastics recycling.   In the civil lawsuit filed on Monday, Attorney General Rob Bonta accused Exxon of contributing to a “deluge” of plastic pollution, while telling Californians that recycling was a fix.   “For […]

European polymer prices were mixed over the week to 20th September. There was an increase of 20 EUR per tonne reported in the price of PVC. In the UK, prices fell against most grades as the Pound gained value against the Euro.   Asian polymers fell with a reduction of 30 USD per tonne reported […]

The US central bank has lowered interest rates for the first time in more than four years with a larger than usual cut.   The Federal Reserve reduced the target for its key lending rate by 0.5 percentage points, to the range of 4.75%-5%.   Jerome Powell, the head of the bank, said the move […]

Tupperware Brands, the US maker of plastic, food storage containers, and some of its subsidiaries have filed for bankruptcy in the US in the face of ballooning losses.   The embattled company says it will ask for court permission to start a sale process of the business and aims to continue operating during the bankruptcy […]

PwC’s Chinese auditing arm has been suspended from the country for six months over its work on the collapsed Chinese property giant Evergrande.   The Big Four accountancy firm is also being fined more than $62m after Chinese authorities said it had helped cover up fraud at Evergrande.   The real estate firm collapsed in […]

European polymer prices fell over the week to 13th September. There were reductions of 10 EUR per tonne reported in the prices of Polypropylene and PVC. In the UK, prices rose against some grades as the Pound lost value against the Euro.   Asian polymers also fell with reductions of between 10 and 20 USD […]