Weekly Roundup: Dutch Plastics Pact launches, Indorama expands South American presence

01 Mar 2019 --- In packaging news this week, the Netherlands has launched a Plastics Pact supported by more than 70 participating parties. The parties will aim to make all new plastics packaging fully recyclable. In business, Indorama completed its acquisition of fiber company M&G Fibras Brasil, in Brazil. In further news, a joint project started by the European Plastic Converters (EuPC) and the European Masterbatches and Compounders (EuMBc) has published the ECHA Sector Approach on Plastics.

In brief: Business news
Global chemical producer Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has completed its acquisition of M&G Fibras Brasil in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Brazil. The Cabo plant manufactures and supplies polyester staple fiber, with a total polymerization capacity of 75,000 tons per year. The acquisition is the IVL’s debut in the fiber business in Brazil and should provide IVL with an opportunity to add capacity in fibers and establish its presence in one of South America’s largest economies. In addition, IVL is well-positioned to expand more into nonwoven applications, which are growing strongly in Brazil, supported by the presence of global brands. The acquisition will also strengthen the Company’s “Home and Lifestyle” portfolio.

Paper and packaging supplier WestRock Company has appointed Jeff Chalovich to the role of Chief Commercial Officer, in addition to his leadership role of the company’s Corrugated Packaging segment. As Chief Commercial Officer, Chalovich leads the commercial excellence and enterprise solutions efforts across the company. Pete Durette, Executive Vice President, has assumed the role of leading the company’s corrugated container business within the Corrugated Packaging segment.

In brief: Plastic news
The Netherlands has launched the Infrastructure and Water Management initiative: Plastics Pact NL. More than 70 participating parties – including food companies, supermarkets, festivals, caterers, producers, packers and environmental organizations – have agreed to use less plastic, reuse and recycle more plastic and make all new plastic 100 percent recyclable. In its commitment to plastic reduction, FrieslandCampina is one of the most notable signatories of the pact. The Dutch government wants to use half the amount of raw materials in 2030 by making better use of the materials that already exist. The ultimate goal is to create an entirely circular economy by 2050.

The ECHA Sector Approach on Plastics has been published by a joint project started by the EuPC and the EuMBc for plastics masterbatches, compounders and converters, together with upstream suppliers of plastics additives and polymers and the European Chemical Agency. Included in the work is a verified inventory of the most common additives used above 100T in plastics, including information on their function, the type of polymer where additives are used and their concentration. Also included is a methodology to estimate the relative additives release potential from plastics matrices and the application of this methodology to additives within the domain of applicability of the method.

In brief: New design techniques
M&H Plastics has developed a technique that allows brands to add a series of ridges inside of a bottle which creates a straight line or spiral effect inside the mold of the bottles. Bottles treated to the spiral effect can have the ridges vertically or feature the ridges formed to show a spiral effect, as described by the company. M&H Plastics flexible manufacturing allows low minimum order quantities from 10,000 and samples are available in 125ml and 250ml tubulars.