WASTE MANAGEMENT

Western Balkan upgrades present investment opportunities / Croatia ranks high in household waste recycling growth / National ban on single-use plastics

PLASTICS INDUSTRY USA

First-quarter machinery shipments dip / US plastics trade hits USD 15.6 bn in 2020 / Chemical sales expected to rise in 2021

CHINA

EUR 364m loan from World Bank to improve plastics waste management / Project centred on Ningbo and Chongqing

ARAB GULF STATES

Sustainability goals drive GCC move to circular economy / Plastics-to-fuel a key trend / Frost & Sullivan report

TURKEY

Demand, output of construction plastics rise in Q1 / Foreign trade expands / PU shows highest growth rate

TURKEY

Plastics demand rises in 2020 on higher domestic sales / Import and export volumes grow / Economic woes continue

PLASTICS RECYCLING MOROCCO

Project MOSSUP to tackle SUP waste / Pilot projects with supermarkets in trial phase

RUSSIA

Billions in petrochemicals investments seek to make country an export nation by 2025 / Nord Stream 2 as acid test / Domestic demand grows faster than polymer production

TURKEY

Plastics association proposes solutions to surging resin prices / Domestic producers should sell to local processors / Calls for pausing import duties

ASIA

Economic activity set to rebound in 2021 / Slow, partial decoupling from China / New US administration to have positive effect on Chinese relations / Atradius report

BREXIT

Outcome of UK-EU trade negotiations remains uncertain / Time is running out / Plastics industry prepares / Coronavirus pandemic and supply bottlenecks add to problems

US PLASTICS INDUSTRY

Trade surplus drops 20% in 2019 / Trade deficit in resins and machinery with Germany

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AUSTRIA

Confidence declining in circular transformation / ARA barometer reveals less commitment among smaller companies / Coca-Cola launches recycling incentives for consumers

CHINA

Details of five-year plan show nationwide measures for cutting plastics consumption / Gradual SUP bans planned / Degradable plastics demand expected to increase significantly

GERMANY'S PLASTICS MARKETS

New Conversio study looks at material flows in 2019 / Decline in raw material production and plastics processing / Upward trend for recycling comes to a sudden halt / Corona crisis leaves major scars

TURKEY

Plastics industry posts fall in demand and output in first half / Contraction predicted for 2020 / Domestic market hindered by taxes and low-value products

PLASTICS RECYCLING USA

Alliance to create circular economy / North American platform of Ellen MacArthur's global “Plastics Pact” / 50% recycling rate targeted

UPDATE - DENMARK

Government announces plan to overhaul waste and recycling system / Proposed restriction on imported waste for incineration

CHINA

"Chinaplas 2021" taking place in country's technology hub / 19 halls and more online services at Shenzhen exhibition centre / Production of plastic products higher in May

CHINA

Economic growth to decline sharply in 2020 due to Covid-19 and trade dispute with the US / Oil demand looks set to recover in Q2 / Atradius and Wood Mackenzie reports